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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23661103">Feeders</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpDerpShipping/pseuds/Btw%20Where%20The%20Hell%20Are%20We'>Btw Where The Hell Are We (GrumpDerpShipping)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abuse, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Biting, Blood, Character Death, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kidnapping, M/M, Multi, Past Adashi - Freeform, Past Child Abuse, Polyamory, Self-Harm, Slavery, Slow Burn, Trauma, Violence, minor alluratt, minor griffkink, minor kurtashi, okay that's all the bad stuff, the context isn't as bad as this wall of tags makes it look tho, there's a lot in this fic so some tags may be added</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:40:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>73,539</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23661103</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpDerpShipping/pseuds/Btw%20Where%20The%20Hell%20Are%20We</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance McClain is abducted and sold at a market for vampires.<br/>Is he a slave? A pet?<br/>Or...<br/>maybe it's something more.<br/>**This work has now been fully edited**</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Lance/Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>94</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>413</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Heading home for the night Lance?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young man let out a loud, weary groan as he turned to face his co-worker. His legs felt ready to buckle and collapse and his head was fogged with a need to sleep. “Yeah, finally…” He rubbed at his eyes as he punched out for the night. 9pm on the dot. As if he would stay even a minute past the end of his shifts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled his jacket on over his itchy work polo and stumbled for the exit with a passing wave. It was times like these where he wondered if having a job while he was still in high school was worth it. On the bright side he was still on track to graduate despite his minimal time to study between school and work, not that he would have utilized any extra time for anything productive. He made it through three years already, it was unlikely this one would be any different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance rooted around in his pockets as he stepped out into the dark, desolate parking lot. “Man, I need a car…” He found his earbuds in one pocket and his flashlight in the other. He kept it on him more at his mother’s insistence than anything but to be fair, their neighborhood didn’t have streetlights.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Regardless, Lance trudged on home, a playlist of top 40 pop music playing in his ears to keep him from falling asleep on his feet. He let his steps bounce a bit to the beat of the song as he walked, eventually turning off the main road and into the darker subdivision. The lights from the stores and sparse traffic were soon gone and Lance slowed his pace a bit, keeping his head craned down towards the pavement to avoid tripping on anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the current song faded out, he spotted movement in his periphery, a soft rustling noise followed the unidentified shadow until Lance could no longer discern where it was. He plucked his earbuds out and pulled out his flashlight, shining it in the shadows direction; nothing. He knew that it was likely a small animal or a neighbor stepping outside, or something, but his body still tensed. Lance continued walking, briskly and with purpose. He shined the light out in front of him, pointing at everything that could possibly be a threat as his heart beat louder in his ears with each passing minute. Tension wound in his whole body, ready to snap at any- CRASH!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shrieked as he heard a loud bang, breaking out into a sprint as a small raccoon watched in confusion from their now toppled over garbage can. Lance made a mad dash for his house, skidding and nearly falling over as he turned onto his street. He was nearly there until an uneven slab of cement caught his toe and he tumbled into the grass of someone’s lawn. He vaguely registered the clattering sound from his flashlight hitting the pavement as the world around him was plunged into total darkness. Lance gasped for air as he brought himself up on shaking limbs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright..?” Lance looked up, there was a person standing in front of him, they must have been inside and seen him trip. “Are you bleeding?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance couldn’t see them very well but he extended his hand to the one offering to pull him back up. “I-I don’t think so. I twisted around and hit the grass mostly.” Lance explained as he got to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait, he knew this house. He knew all his neighbors at least a little bit. An older woman lived here by herself. She always complained about her creaky screen door. Why didn’t he hear-? The person let go of his hand but abruptly shoved him backwards. Lance hit another person’s chest and both of his wrists were taken in a vice grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Let me go!!” Lance lunged forward to try and slip out, squirming and twisting to try and slip his arms free from his jacket and run. The first person pulled a rag out of their pocket and shoved it over his nose and mouth. Was he seriously being chloroformed?! Lance tried to hold his breath as he thrashed and kicked, the person’s grip on his face tightening to the point of being painful to keep him from trying to turn his head away. His lungs burned as his body finally forced him to inhale the chloroform, within seconds his vision went hazy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t scratch it or you’re losing your cut.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop worrying. I’m a professional.” Lance lost consciousness before he could hear anything else of that exchange. He couldn’t even really process what he did hear as he fell into darkness, kidnapped not even a block away from his home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance groaned as he blinked awake, the faint sound of bustling people waking him up. He winced as he shifted, his back and shoulders ached as he moved them around for the first time in...how long had he been out? What even happened??</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sat up, a chill jolting through his body as he moved, not only was he on a cold, metal floor in a pitch black room but it was freezing on his bare skin. He crossed his arms over his chest with a shiver as he tried to warm up. It was only then that he noticed his state of dress. His clothes weren’t familiar at all, if you could even call them clothes. All he had was a tattered cloth hanging on his hips down to only his mid thigh. No shirt, no shoes, not even underwear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt his stomach turn at the thought of some stranger stripping him down like that. He moved to stand up only to hit his head on the low ceiling with a loud bang. He winced and looked closer at his surroundings. He reached out to find the wall only to grasp a thin metal bar less than a foot in front of him. He managed to reach his fingers slightly past the bar and they brushed over a heavy tarp. This wasn’t even a room, it was a covered up cage. Sure enough, as he felt around further he was only met with more cold bars, he had enough room to sit up and a good nine square feet to move around in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance tried to doubt it, it had to be a nightmare. He came up with a kidnapping dream after he got scared going home last night! He was in bed with his parents waiting from him to drag himself downstairs for their Saturday breakfast. This couldn’t be happening for real! He brought his knees into his chest and suppressed a whimper. A moment later the tarp opened up on his left side, an unfamiliar man looking down at him. Lance squinted at the light and the man slipped a cane through the bars to poke him. “Come on now, rise and shine. You're going up soon."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance wanted to ask what he was talking about but his mouth abruptly ran dry. The man's gaze was unsettling, unnatural even. He unlocked the cage door and opened it wide, securing a thin metal collar to his neck before he could even blink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Now just stay quiet and behave. You'll do great." The man grabbed the chain attached to the collar and gave a yank, pulling Lance out onto the wooden platform the cage was sat on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance stood up and looked around as he was led out into the brisk night air. The long platform was actually a simple stage, adorned with dim lanterns as it sat compacted between other buildings and tents. The whole scene before him looked like some kind of market with people lingering between stalls with their arms filled with bags. The man tugged Lance to center stage, a small cluster of people were gathering at the front of it. Lance shivered as he felt their eyes wandering his body. Some in the crowd almost seemed to get excited when he flushed with embarrassment. The man leading him stepped aside to allow Lance to be ogled. He wanted to move, he wanted to give the man a left hook and run. He wanted to scream and curse him out but he just couldn’t. He stood there, stiff as a board and still as a statue, dozens of eyes boring into him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now our last offering for the night. Very fit, flawless complexion. Not a single bite or scratch on his entire body. He’s a fresh catch but as you can see, very obedient even without professional training. Hardly an offer you would want to pass up.” And here Lance thought his stomach couldn’t drop further as people began raising their hands to bet on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>200.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>500.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>700.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>1000.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s eyes darted to each person that placed a bet, each looking as unnerving as the last and he couldn’t even definitively say why. The bets began to flounder around 1400 as the man presenting him tried to pressure the bid to go higher. He seemed sorely disappointed by the measly bid and reluctantly began to accept it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Going once, going-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“3000!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s eyes darted to a tall, well-dressed man with silver hair as he approached the stage, seemingly confident that no one would oppose his increase in the price. The crowd murmured between themselves, seeing that as a ridiculous markup. Lance would be insulted if he wasn’t terrified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Yes uh, 3000! Going once? Twice? Alright! Sold, to the handsome young man for 3000! He is all yours, sir!” The man eagerly pushed Lance off the stage and into the man’s grip. Lance yelped as he stumbled onto the dirt ground, the bidder’s arm catching him by the chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance stared up as the bidder paid his fee; needless to say, the man was huge. Lance wasn’t a short guy and he still easily towered over him. His hand could cover Lance’s entire face and suffocate him before he split his skull open by nestling it in the crook of his arm and flexing his bicep. The large man took hold of the chain still weighing down his neck with a smile, tugging it lightly as he moved away from the stage. Lance shuffled behind him, his eyes anxiously darting around to every person they passed. Why did they all look so strange?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man turned to glance back at him when he heard Lance shiver as a cold gust of air ran through the narrow paths of the market. “Come on, let’s get you out of the cold. It’s not much farther now,” he gave the chain another tug and began walking a bit faster. Lance reluctantly did the same, he didn’t want to trust this guy but the allure of someplace warm was enough motivation to keep walking. Not to mention the idea of pissing this behemoth of a man off was a convincing threat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thin cobblestone streets of the market soon faded to a simple dirt path; a large, ornate carriage was sitting nearby that he was soon led up to. The man opened the door and gently ushered Lance to step inside. Lance did as he was told and climbed the small set of steps, relieved to get away from the cold night wind. He sat down on the plush, velvet bench inside, his hands gripping the ends of his small loin cloth to make sure he at least kept his shame covered. Although, judging by how that seller had talked, he imagined he wouldn’t have a choice in the matter for much longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man sat across from him, the chain still in hand as he shut the door. Lance tensed as the carriage was plunged into darkness, the thick curtains blotting out the moonlight. A moment later, four small lanterns lit up around the corners of the carriage, seemingly with no mechanism to light them in the first place. It gave Lance just enough light to see the man sitting a few feet away but it was still dim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man shrugged off his black trench coat, and gestured for Lance to lean forward. He gently took hold of the metal collar and it unlatched with no resistance. Lance didn’t even see a lock on the collar he could have released. The collar hit the floor of the carriage with a clatter and the man draped his coat over Lance’s shoulders. “Is that better?” he asked softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance pulled the ends of the coat closer, letting his body heat warm him up. “Y-Yeah...uhm...what’s going on? Where am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man stared at him for a moment before leaned back in his seat. “There’s no need to worry. I’m your new master and I’m taking you home.” The man knocked softly on the side of the carriage and it jostled them a bit as it began to move. It wouldn’t be so strange if Lance didn’t distinctly remember there being no driver, much less any horses to pull it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Master??” Lance felt a lump in his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or Shiro, if you prefer. I’ve never been a stickler for those kinds of things. What about you? What’s your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, but so am I just...a slave now?? I don’t even know what you want from me!” Lance’s previously silent panic began to bubble up in his chest as he talked about the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro shushed him softly, “It’s alright, I’m not asking you for much. It’s simple really. Just crane your neck for me, a bit off to the side.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance quirked an eyebrow and awkwardly did as he was asked. “This is really all you-” Lance squeaked a bit as Shiro abruptly got up from his seat and leaned over Lance’s body. He set his head in the crook of Lance’s exposed neck and shuddered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t thrash, this will only take a minute,” he whispered, his hands pinning Lance’s to the seat. Lance’s skin bloomed with goosebumps as Shiro’s breath hit his neck before two needle-like pricks punctured his skin. Lance yelped, frozen in horror as Shiro sucked at his neck. It felt like an eternity, with fiery spikes of pain spreading to Lance’s entire neck, his breaths ragged and laced with painful whimpers. Shiro finally pulled back with a relieved sigh, his pupils glowing an unnatural red in the dark carriage and Lance’s blood staining the long fangs inside his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmh...see? That’s not so hard. You’ll be an excellent feeder, Lance.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Manor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Vampire. Lance had been assaulted, kidnapped, and sold to a vampire. Panic was clawing at his chest and yet he couldn’t bring himself to move as Shiro lazily licked up the remaining beads of blood from the small bite wound on his neck. He’s breaths were loud, fast, and shallow. He couldn’t tell if his wooziness was from a lack of blood or oxygen. He didn’t hear whatever Shiro said next, far too occupied with drowning in the horror of his situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh...it’s alright. This won’t kill you.” Shiro spoke softly as he pulled his coat tighter around Lance’s body. “It’s already scabbing over. You won’t bleed out.” Lance jerked away as Shiro reached to stroke his hair. He frowned slightly and pulled his hand back, sitting back down on the other bench to give him space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes the carriage slowed and stopped. This was his chance, he had to run! He needed to get home and away from this place!! Lance threw the carriage door open and practically fell down the steps onto a wide stone road. He ran for the large ornate gate that was still wide open despite the pain of running on such rough material in bare feet. Making his escape felt euphoric, almost. His head felt light, his soul felt free of his body and- why was everything spinning?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Lance woke up again he was bundled up tight in a soft heavy comforter, his head half sunken into a set of pillows. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes as he looked at his surroundings. He was in a large, open room with stone walls and wooden floors. He was actually laying in one of four beds, each nestled into one corner of the room with a matching side table and dresser. In the center of the room was a large circular table and the walls were lined with long curtained windows, a smoldering stone fireplace and a few small hanging lanterns that were currently unlit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance took note of a piece of paper resting on his legs and picked it up. “Lance, sorry I couldn’t give you the proper tour, and for taking a bit too much. I’ll be more careful in the future. That bed and wardrobe is yours to use. Although, none of the others are occupied if you would rather have a different one. Get dressed and come down for breakfast at some point. The kitchen is on the ground floor. -Shiro”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right, this still wasn’t a dream. Lance huffed and stood up from the bed, still a bit dizzy from his low blood sugar. The wardrobe was filled with basic white button ups and black slacks. He grimaced slightly at the idea of wearing nothing but uncomfortable itchy clothing. Even then it was better than nothing, Lance took the extra effort to throw the loin cloth into the small waste bin beside the wardrobe. He would have burned it if the fire was anything more but embers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, the clothes actually fit him, and were shockingly not uncomfortable to move in. He looked himself over in the mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door. The collar of the shirt was noticeably low, showing the two small scabs on his neck. Lance frowned softly at the likely thought process for why the shirts were like this. He found some socks and shoes on the bottom drawer and put them on as well. The air of the room was chilly, and likely so was the rest of this place. He’d take whatever extra layers he could get at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he left, he took a bit more time to examine the room. Pulling back the curtains he could see the sun was low in the sky, casting an amber hue over a dense landscape of trees and a large, well kept garden several stories below. Did he really sleep until sunset? It was pitch black last time he was outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance finally left the room, stepping out into a wide stone corridor, the floor padded with a long ornate rug. He soon found a dark wooden staircase that clung to the wall in a tight downward spiral. It also seemed to go up even further but food was a higher priority than snooping through this creepy vampire mansion. He descended the stairs quietly, only giving brief glances to the other floors on each landing as he continued towards the bottom. As he hopped down the last few stairs, a sharp squeak broke the silence and startled Lance into a yelp. He quickly noticed there was a creature he had nearly stepped on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was small, only reaching Lance’s knees in height; its nubby body was pitch black and dressed in a tiny cloak while it’s bulbous head was white and glossy. It had two nubby horns on its head and it’s wide hollow eyes stared at Lance with a completely unreadable expression. It didn’t appear to have a mouth and was holding a sponge in it’s tiny hands. After a moment of quiet staring the creature continued ascending the stairs with strained, wide strides, paying Lance no mind at all. Lance watched it leave with an unnerved look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Across from the start of the staircase he could hear pots and pans clattering around in another room. He cracked the door open and peered inside, another man was working tirelessly at the stove, plates of food cluttering the counters. Lance slipped into the room, very much cautious of approaching any new people in this crazy place. He was only a few steps inside before the man turned around, his eyes held a similar uncanny feeling; another vampire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey there. You must be the master’s new pet. Mmmm...Lance, right?” The man gave Lance a harmless smile, although it did show his large fangs</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Uh, yeah it’s Lance…” he mumbled, still wary about even talking to this guy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good to meet you, I’m Hunk, head chef around here. Are you hungry?” The growl of Lance’s stomach answered the question before he could find an excuse to leave. Hunk chuckled and gestured for Lance to sit down at the cramped breakfast nook at the end of the room. Lance settled into the curved booth as Hunk piled several large bowls and trays onto the table in front of him. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I made a bit of everything. Go ahead and eat up.” Hunk smiled and gave him a small plate as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance looked over the array of cooked meats, pastries and eggs, all cooked to perfection. Well, being immortal would give you plenty of time to know how to do it perfectly so that actually made sense. Lance piled a little bit of everything onto his plate as two more of those tiny creatures entered the kitchen. One had horns curled like a ram, and the other had four horns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, there you are.” Hunk greeted the creatures and picked them up, setting them in the sink where one began washing the cookware and the other set them in the drying rack without hesitation. Hunk stepped away from the counter to let them work, grabbing his own plate as he sidled in beside Lance. “Do you like it?” Hunk asked, tentatively. “I can make something else if you’d prefer since I don’t know your tastes well yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shook his head adamantly. “No way this is delicious! I love breakfast food but this might be the best I’ve ever had.” Lance grinned and continued to eat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk’s smile practically illuminated the whole room. He pulled out a tiny notebook and pen from the pocket of his apron. He eagerly scribbled a few things down, murmuring incoherently to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance raised an eyebrow and took a guess at what it was. “You’re writing down what I like..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Hunk looked back up at him, “Yes, I want to make sure I have a good grasp on your tastes. Meal planning is an intricate process so I wouldn’t want to waste time on food you don’t like.” Hunk eventually put the pad away and prepared to create a plate for himself when the kitchen door opened yet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro entered the room, well dressed in a more high collar button up and a dark violet vest. He looked to the breakfast nook and gave them a wide smile. “Lance, it’s good to see you up,” he sat down at his other side, effectively trapping Lance in the booth. “Are you feeling alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance hesitated to answer. He was stuck with two vampires staring down at him. He felt like just another platter on the table. "I'm...fine, still kinda dizzy…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro hummed, his intentions unreadable behind that calm smile. "You should be fine once you have more food in your system. Go on." He picked up his own plate and piled it high with a hefty portion from every platter. And suddenly Lance's question about why there had been so much food prepared for so few people was answered. How did he even maintain that kind of physic while inhaling three servings of scrambled eggs like it was nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So...vampires actually eat food?" Lance tensed and slapped a hand over his mouth. Why did he say that out loud?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gave him a look briefly as he chewed the ludicrously large bite in his mouth. "Of course we do. We're living creatures much like anything else. So as such, we eat!" He punctuated that further by cramming a piece of toast into his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So it's not just blood? I thought that was, like, the thing for vampires." Lance muttered as he continued to pick and chew at his food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, the human understanding of our lifestyle isn't exactly accurate," Shiro chuckled softly. "Blood isn't required every day for vampires as young as we are. So you don't have a thing to worry about. I want to make sure you recover before I drink from you again." He said it so casually, just like it was some basic formality. Lance was here to supply his blood to vampires. Just a simple feeder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance couldn't pay attention to Shiro and Hunk's conversation, the feeling of dread in his stomach blotted out his senses and perception of time. The dishes on the table were empty by the time he came back to his grim reality. "Lance? Are you still there?" Shiro lightly tapped his cheek, making Lance flinch. "Aw, poor thing; you're all spaced out. Come on, I'll let you rest a little more but I want to show you around first." Shiro smiled and tousled his hair, the residual feeling was unnaturally cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance reluctantly slinked out of the booth behind him as Hunk gathered the dirty dishes, another little creature with mismatched horn patterns scampering up to Hunk's side to help. Shiro led Lance back out to the hallways, occasionally glancing over his shoulder; making sure that the pet was following. He was, albeit knowingly keeping as much of a distance as possible. "I'll get to the point, Lance. I'm not one to keep secrets. Every room in this manor is yours to explore at your own leisure. I'm not going to hover over you if I don't need to. But I will point out that the basement and leaving the property can be...dangerous. I'd advise against it if I'm not with you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shuddered as an unspoken threat hung in the air. "Oookay no escaping. I get the point." Lance stammered nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made Shiro chuckle, "It's just for your safety. Even my own room isn't off limits, assuming you don't cause trouble. Anyway, I'll show you everything important since it can be a lot to navigate at once. Back that way is the front door and the foyer, over here," Shiro effortlessly opened up a pair of large, ornate doors at the end of the hall, "Is the grand ballroom." Shiro's steps echoed through the massive empty room, the entire west wall of the room covered with a massive thick curtain. With seemingly no force at all, Shiro pulled it back, letting in the last remaining rays of sunlight for the day through the massive glass window. "It tends to put people on edge but you really can't deny that view…" Shiro sighed wistfully as he stared out into his luscious garden. The west side of the manor overlooked a fairly steep hill, leaving the horizon unobstructed, even on the ground floor. Lance couldn't help but stare in awe as the stars began to speckle the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'd advise not going in here either, actually. It will just end up being extra cleaning when we use it but it's not like there's much in here anyway." Shiro explained as he closed the curtain again and led him through another fancy set of doors into the dining hall. It had a noticeable smell of upkicked dust and cleaning products. Shiro seemed to read his mind before he opened his mouth. "Since there haven't been many people living here lately, I've largely been eating in the kitchen nook. We may start using this room again soon but it's been a few weeks since I've gone in here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So, are you and Hunk the only ones living he-? AH!" Lance yelped loudly as another one of those weird creatures fell from the ceiling, nearly stabbing him with its wide, bull-like horns. Shiro was quick to kneel at the creature's side and check it for damage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Everything okay little one?" Shiro cooed softly and picked it up as it tried to shake the feeling of disorientation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> those things, exactly?" Lance asked, hesitant to approach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, you've already seen my cleaning staff?" Shiro held the little creature out for Lance to see, it didn't seem to mind and calmly sat in Shiro’s hands. "They're contracted demons. Just harmless little underlings, though." That did not settle Lance's nerves in the slightest. "They're just here to clean up and keep guard. They won't be likely to bother you." Shiro began to slowly float up as he spoke, gently setting the demon back on the chandelier they had been dusting. Lance didn’t feel comfortable taking his eyes off the thing as he continued to dust without a care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro paid it no mind and continued through the room, showing Lance yet another backend way out of the room. It was abruptly dawning on Lance how much of a labyrinth this place was. He wasn’t confident he could escape if he tried; even without Shiro’s threats not to leave. Shiro patted his leg a bit as he walked, coaxing Lance forward like a dog. Lance reluctantly followed, up a narrow set of stairs and through yet another pair of ornate wooden doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room opened up into a massive carpeted library, the shelves creating a narrow maze that towered high over Lance’s head. Each shelf was stuffed with books, most of which appeared to be non-fiction. Shiro hummed and proudly puffed his chest, “It’s quite the collection, don’t you think? I can’t recommend passing time in here enough. Time really does fly with a good book,” he mused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance peeked around the corner of one of the shelves, only to see a dead end of even more shelves. “How do you even get around this place?” he whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simple,” Shiro responded bluntly, lifting his foot onto one of the lower shelves and pushing himself up onto the top of the bookshelf with absolutely no effort or audible strain from the shelf. Lance watched him, slightly annoyed as he jumped onto the shelf as well. He clunkily climbed on top; whether he ignored or simply didn’t notice Shiro’s outstretched hand to pull him up was difficult to discern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shelves created a thin path that outstretched to another line of shelves along the nearby wall and further into the room. Thankfully from this angle Lance could see there was a clear path to the other end of the room on the ground. Shiro stepped gracefully across the shelves, gesturing Lance to follow without a word. Lance followed with slow, distracted steps as he finally took in the high ornate ceiling. Multiple lit chandeliers hung several feet above them, there was a smaller second floor that hung over the first, and the higher walls were lined with ornate paintings of people that Lance didn’t recognize. His eyes caught a particular painting of two young, well dressed boys, stiff, posed, and smiling bright. He split from Shiro’s lead to get as close as he could and get a better look. There was no way...</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Something catch your interest?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance flinched and looked back to Shiro, he was down on the ground again by a small reading area with a table and multiple chairs; a few books and a box of index cards were strewn about on the table. “Is this...you?” Lance pointed to one of the tiny boys in the painting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro stared at him for a moment before he hovered back up to Lance’s eye level, wordlessly grabbing Lance’s wrist and directing his finger to the other boy in the painting. “Close, but you had the wrong one,” Shiro smiled coyly. “Sometimes I consider taking this one down but the room would never feel right again without it. It’s been there as long as I can remember,” he mused, mostly to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you have a twin,” Lance concluded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but it’s been ages since I’ve seen him. I inherited this estate. He...left. Honestly, these walls have become more of a memorial than I would have liked…” Shiro spoke quietly, but Lance still heard it. His eyes were soon drawn to a more recent painting, Shiro with three other people. They looked like humans; no weird feelings coming from their eyes. Lance felt his body run cold as he looked at them. The previous owners of those beds. Shiro’s former victims.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gave Lance’s arm a very light tug to grab his attention again. “Here, I’ll help you down.” Lance didn’t have time to respond before Shiro hoisted him up by the armpits and gently lowered Lance to the floor. “I think you get the gist of all this,” Shiro approached the table, handing a few of the books off to another one of those underlings who was currently organizing the shelves. “This space is yours to use on your time. There’s paper and writing materials in the cabinet if you’re ever inclined to use it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance wanted to ask about the other painting, he really did, but Shiro didn’t seem as interested about probing that topic. He kept his mouth shut at the very least to avoid incurring any potential wrath from the vampire. Did he have wrath? By all means Shiro had been very lax and carefree today. Lance still decided to play things safe. If Shiro had an ugly side, he didn’t want to see it. Ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro seemed to rush the latter end of the tour around the library and soon ushered Lance up to the third floor. Not much of note there, just guest rooms and storage. The next floor up was the one Lance had been in before. “I don’t think you really need a tour of your own room. I just wanted to point out that mine is at the very end of the hall, in case you ever happen to need me.” Shiro gestured to the larger door on the other side of the narrow hallway. “I think that’s everything of note. There’s another floor but there isn’t much up there, a very nice view though. I’ll leave you to explore it on your own, Lance,” Shiro gave his head a brief pat despite Lance’s attempts to shy away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, where are you going?” Lance asked as Shiro moved to descend the stairs again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have work I need to get back to. I’m leaving you to your devices, okay?” Shiro was gone before Lance could really work out his response. Somehow the castle felt more unnerving without him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Trap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance huffed as he stared blankly at the ceiling. It had been nearly a week now since he was dragged into this needlessly elaborate manor. Hunk was continuing to scribble things down about Lance's tastes. He was a good cook but he couldn't help but feel like he was being fattened up, just a little bit. Despite that Shiro had been surprisingly welcoming. Lance was almost starting to doubt that the blood sucking thing even happened. His scabs were healed and whenever Lance could actually find him, Shiro had been eager to answer his questions and recommend him books. All of said books were currently piled on his nightstand with several more set aside in the library for later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A light rap came to his door and Shiro poked his head in with a soft smile, “Lance, there you are.” Lance twisted a little to face Shiro, head hanging off the bed as he looked up at him. "I was wondering if you wanted to join me on a trip to the market. You've seemed a bit…" Lance's body slipped too far off the mattress and his body hit the floor with a loud thud. "...bored," Shiro finished. "I think some fresh air would do you good."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro crouched and offered his hand to help Lance up. Lance couldn't help but notice that Shiro's skin was a bit more coarse than it usually felt. Did he normally moisturize or something? Shiro hoisted Lance onto his feet and opened his wardrobe to fish out a thick coat and set it on Lance's shoulders. "Come on, it'll be nice," Shiro led him out of his room. It didn't even seem to occur to him that Lance didn't actually answer yes or no to his offer. Still, Lance followed Shiro outside to the carriage, the moon bright and full in the sky to illuminate their path.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of tiny pitters across the stone caught Lance's attention. The source was another underling carrying a large empty bag on their head. The straps were held sturdy by their long horns and it didn’t seem to mind going this far to keep the bag from dragging on the ground. Shiro opened the door and let them in first before Lance stepped in. Lance slipped into the seat and pulled open the thick velvet curtain covering up the small window, the underling immediately crawling into his lap to peer out the glass. Shiro slumped down across from him and rapped on the carriage to get it to move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt an awkward pressure in the air as they sat in silence. He wanted to ask more about the market, more about the carriage, even just ask why Shiro seemed so pushy to find an excuse for the two of them to interact. Yet, he remained quiet as the carriage passed through the dense forest surrounding the estate. His attention drifted to the underling lightly bouncing in his lap. “Someone seems excited," he commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They do enjoy the outdoors. Most of them, at least,” Shiro smiled as the underling finally settled in Lance’s lap. “It’s just an errand run. I can’t understand why they enjoy it so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later the carriage stopped and Shiro opened the door, they were back at the market Lance had been purchased at. "One more thing, Lance." Shiro lightly grabbed Lance's arm as he got up to exit. He picked up the collar and chain that was still on the floor and promptly locked it around Lance’s neck again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wh-?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a precaution, Lance," Shiro promptly explained as he took hold of the chain and tugged him out of the carriage. Just like that Lance was back to feeling like a pet at best.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The underling practically nipped Shiro’s heels as they made their way into the market, other vampires leisurely migrating in between small tents, booths, and more permanent buildings, their arms piled high with bags, or the arms of their servants in some cases. “This way Lance,” Shiro tugged him out of his slight daze and into one of the small buildings sitting prominently among the narrow rows of tents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tight store was filled with boxes of herbs and strange bottled liquids. Lance couldn’t pronounce the words on the labels if he tried. “Rolo?” Shiro called out into the empty store. A short scream came from a room up stairs followed by a pounding noise as a thin vampire slipped back onto the store floor from a narrow staircase in the corner. Lance shied away from him as whoever cried out continued to do so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shirogane, it’s been a while,” Rolo smiled and slid behind the counter. Shiro’s attention couldn’t help but be drawn to the noise upstairs. “Ah, new pet. I got a good deal on her just tonight but she’s a bit ah...feisty,” Rolo explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro nodded but frowned softly, “Did something happen to Nyma?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolo huffed out a growl, “I asked her to help throw out the expired goods but the second she goes out the back door I see some asshole steal her from the window! I couldn’t catch him...doubt I could have fought him off if I tried…” he frowned and half heartedly punched the wall behind him, frustrated and still clearly upset about it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry to hear that. You should have come to me, I could have loaned you the money for one. I know your budget is already tight,” Shiro gave him a sympathetic frown as he perused a small display of herbs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolo sighed, “I wasn’t going to put the burden on you. Guess I’m...still hoping she turns up, too…” Rolo’s eyes fell to Lance, “Speaking of new pets…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro perked a bit as he grabbed Lance by the shoulders and pulled him up to the counter. “Right, Lance this is Rolo, he’s a good friend of mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, hi…” Lance awkwardly extended his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolo smiled and gave it a brief shake before turning back to Shiro, “How long?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only a week, but he’s been so little trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, you always have all kinds of luck. I bet you got him discounted too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, I could have but I paid what he was worth. But I shouldn’t keep holding you here. I just need two bottles of Lanuus and a vile of stabilizer.” Rolo was quick to bag the items and add up his total, to which Shiro paid without issue. “Good luck with the new pet, Rolo,” Shiro called as he set the bag in the underling’s satchel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You too,” Rolo waved as he took the opportunity to dart back up the stairs and tend to the girl still slamming herself against the hastily locked door. Lance’s eyes could help but dwell on the stairwell as Shiro tugged the chain and forced him to stumble out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, Hunk gave me quite the list so I’d appreciate some help finding things, Lance,” Shiro smiled and handed the slip of paper back to Lance as they walked. “All the food vendors are down this way.” He tugged Lance down the center street without a care in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance gripped the edges of his coat and sighed as his inconsistent step patterns tried to decide whether he wanted to stay as far away as the chain would reach or stay close to Shiro and away from others. He eventually closed in to walk beside him so he could talk to him over the bustling crowd. “Shiro, can I ask you something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro continued browsing odd fruits that neither of them were very well versed in, the small label was their only indication it was what Hunk had requested, “I’m all ears, Lance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just...what am I to you? I-I know you throw around the word ‘pet’ a lot but you mentioned paying what I was worth when you bought me and I just...” Lance’s voice petered out a bit as he struggled to convey his point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro set another bag of produce into the satchel, the underling was eager to accept. “Well, blood pet is the technical term but, if I’m being honest. I wanted you to have a good home. I couldn’t change the fact that you were taken to be sold but I could keep you from being stuck with a poor caretaker. It’s all too common for blood pets to be mistreated…” Shiro frowned and turned to look Lance in the eye, “You’re a friend to me, Lance. At least, that’s what I want you to be,” he gave Lance a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance couldn’t find a way to respond as his eyes shyly drifted away. “Uh, hey didn’t Hunk also write down blackberries? I think I see some over there,” Lance pointed behind Shiro, awkwardly changing the subject. His chest felt a bit lighter after that and he constantly stayed at Shiro’s side as they went down the list.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance let the cool night air brush through his hair as they finally started making their way back through the woods. Shiro took in a deep inhale before he abruptly opened his eyes. His hand came up to touch the side of the carriage, making it roll to a stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shiro?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro took in another breath out the window, his gaze seeming distant and unfocused. "Stay here." Shiro stood up from his seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What-?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Stay. Here." Shiro didn't look at him as he left the carriage, his fangs bared in his slightly agape mouth. He stalked through the overgrown grass, following the overpowering scent his nose caught. He carried himself out to a clearing, a small figure was slumped over the grass, unmoving. Shiro let out a shuddering breath as he approached. It was a human, unconscious and bleeding from the wrist. Fresh, intoxicating human blood. His pupils blew wide as he savored the scent and kneeled into the grass beside the young boy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment of stressed pacing and dead silence Lance couldn’t take it anymore. The underling stayed put, content and obedient, merely watching as Lance pushed his way into the forest. “Shiro??” he didn’t care if he got into trouble, Shiro wasn’t acting right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sharp scream pierced the quiet sounds of the forest and Lance’s gut twisted with anxiety. His feet stumbled forward, nearly tripping over roots and scratching himself on thorns and twigs as he followed the sound. He found a small clearing, Shiro nearly buried in the long grass. He was splayed out on the ground, the moonlight catching the glint of an activated bear trap with a death grip on his right arm. Another person was pinning Shiro’s chest, the handle of a blade in their clenched fist. Lance didn’t give himself time to think, he sprinted across the grass and threw himself into Shiro’s assailant, the force just barely able to topple them off of Shiro. “What-! What are you doing?!” the boy beneath him screeched as he tried to squirm away from Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to kill him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh- that’s the point! He’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>vampire!! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Now get off! I don’t have much time left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance looked back to Shiro as the boy continued to squirm, he didn’t seem bothered at all by what was happening. He was just staring at them, eye glazed over as his mouth mindlessly twitched, lightly biting at the air like a dazed, feral animal. “Shiro?! Hey, snap out of it!” Lance called to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy scoffed in disgust as he continued to thrash. “You stupid fucking pet. I told you to get off!!” He managed to move his legs between them both and kick Lance off, sending him tumbling over Shiro’s body. Lance wheezed but sat up quickly and wrapped both of his hands tightly around the boy’s wrist, keeping the hand still holding the knife pinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy snarled and tried to tug his wrist free, “I just need to stake it with this or you’ll be stuck with this monster forever! Do you really want that?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Lance hesitated on his answer, “I...I don’t! But that doesn’t mean you have to kill him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Lance…” both boys looked to Shiro, staring at Lance fondly despite the trap digging into his arm, “That’s so sweet of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy tensed with fear and quickly moved to grab the knife from his captured hand, taking a desperate swing to plunge it into Shiro’s chest. Shiro effortlessly grabbed his other wrist with his free hand, trapping the boy entirely. “Keep your grip on him, Lance.” Shiro took a breath before abruptly ripping his arm away from the trap, severing it just above the elbow. Lance followed Shiro’s instruction but still cringed and turned away as Shiro freed himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy thrashed in their grip, doing everything he could to kick and squirm as his breaths became panicked and shallow. “No! No, no no no. I just- aaugh!” he cried out as Shiro twisted his wrist and he dropped the knife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is your deal?” Lance exclaimed between soft gasps for air. The boy only let out a broken whimper as his eyes rolled back in his head. He slumped and stilled, unable to voice his silent cry for help. Shiro sighed in relief and squirmed out from under them both, the mysterious boy flopping onto the ground unceremoniously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sh-Shiro what just happened? You- You just wandered in here to let this guy kill you?!” Lance’s voice grew louder as his stress began to reach a fever pitch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, Lance, calm down...deep breaths…” Shiro gently gripped Lance’s shoulder, his fingers shaking. “I know this is a lot and I wanted to let you be more comfortable first but I...I need to drink from you. Now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance tried to let his breathing even out and he bared his neck for Shiro. It hurt less this time now that his muscles were more lax than the first time. Shiro sighed and forced himself to stop after a moment, letting himself lean his body onto Lance for a moment before he straightened himself. “You just saved me from a vampire hunter, Lance. Thank you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should hurry back, you’re still...bleeding?” Lance questioned his own statement when he noticed the liquid dripping out of Shiro’s wound, it was viscous and pitch black, most of it stubbornly hanging onto what remained of his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro acted like he didn’t even notice, “Would you take that knife with us, Lance?” Shiro gestured to the blade on the ground as he shuffled over to the unconscious boy and slowly managed to gather him up in his arm and a half. “Watch your step. I know human night vision isn’t good.” Lance didn’t even have the energy to question why they were taking their assailant with them and simply followed Shiro’s lead.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Hunter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance trembled a bit as he stepped back into the manor, Shiro letting out soft, ragged pants as he continued to carry the unconscious hunter inside. One of the other underlings spotted them and scampered into the kitchen, Hunk coming out just a moment later. “Master, are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro would have waved it off if he had the spare hand to do so. “Nothing we couldn’t handle. I’ll be downstairs if you need me…” Two of the underlings stacked onto one another in order to reach the door handle to the basement stairs. Shiro gave them a grateful smile and ushered for them to follow as he descended into the dark stairwell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another underling held their hands out to Lance expectantly when he tried to take another step forward. Lance looked between the creature and the knife still in his hands before he gently held it out, "This?" The underling snatched it before he was even done asking and scampered down the stairs after Shiro. Guess that answered that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk let out a soft, exasperated sigh before turning back to Lance, still confused and shaking. He set a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. “Hey, did you manage to get everything?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh-What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ingredients, it looks like you did,” Hunk smiled down at the underling eagerly gesturing for him to take the bag. It churred when the weight was taken off it’s head and Hunk turned back to Lance as he adjusted the bag in his arms. “Come on, why don’t you come help me with dinner...” Hunk gently led Lance into the kitchen, setting the bag on the table as he picked through the contents. “You wanna talk about what happened..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed as he tried to reign in his stress, “I don’t know. It all happened so fast. I...is Shiro gonna be okay? I mean, he lost his arm in a bear trap!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was his right arm, yeah?” Hunk asked as he spread everything out on the counter, keeping Shiro’s other purchases in the bag for now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was it? Y-Yeah, I think so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s it?” Hunk sighed in relief when Lance nodded, “He’ll be fine, Lance. He lost that arm decades ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?? But it was like, fleshy and bleeding -at least, it kinda looked like blood- and it looked like it really hurt!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite Lance’s stressed yelling, Hunk handed him a knife and a bag of fruits they’d purchased. “Half them and carve the pit out, if you please,” Lance obliged without really questioning it. “I’m sure it hurt, that replica was connected to his nerves, but I’m sure he’ll make another one once he rests up," Hunk explained. "Did he drink from you yet?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, he did. It felt like less than last time though."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk puffed out a sigh, "I kept telling him. I </span>
  <span>kept</span>
  <span> telling him he was dragging this out too long. That he can't wait this long with only one pet. But no, he insisted on making you comfortable first; which, y’know, I get it. I really do. But he wasn't getting enough blood in the first place and that made him do something stupid!" Hunk ranted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He...didn't drink because of me?" Lance asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He wants to ease you into it, make sure your comfortable. Which would be fine if he had another way to get blood. He's not ancient but at this age, his whole body would fail without enough of it," Hunk sighed and handed him another fruit to cut "So, who's the human?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance gradually calmed down as he cut the fruits open. "Shiro called him a hunter. This guy tried to kill him and for some reason Shiro brought him with us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk shook his head in dismay, "He's already attached. Master can't resist a scared, wounded human."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He can't seriously stay here!" Lance whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eh, if he calms down at least you'll have some company."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance could only respond with a stressed and annoyed groan against the countertop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk eventually shooed him away to go relax and clean himself up. Lance managed to shuffle up the stairs and flopped into his bed with a groan. It was only when he turned his head that he noticed a second bed was occupied. The hunter boy was in the bed next to him on the back wall of the room. His tattered, dirty clothes switched out for clean sleepwear and his wrist bandaged up. Lance sighed, of course Shiro would put that guy in here. Lance curled up in bed but kept his eye on him; Shiro better have put that knife away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later Lance’s ears caught a short whimper from across the room and he sat back up, watching the other boy’s chest heave under the thick comforter. Lance frowned and reluctantly got up, very gently creeping across the floor. He couldn’t help but reach out to stroke the boy’s hair in an attempt to soothe him. This guy looked about his age but like this, he almost felt like one of his little cousins, tossing and turning because of a nasty storm outside. The boy’s choked, quiet cries slowly settled and Lance sat down beside him to keep his mind at ease. Even after what happened, he couldn’t let someone suffer with their night terrors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy's eyes soon fluttered open as he shifted and came back to the waking world. He stared out listlessly and blinked up at Lance before he abruptly jerked away, scrambling away from him with a defensive growl. “You-! What did you do?!” he demanded, getting up from the bed and quickly scanning the entire room for an exit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance noticed his trembling legs and rounded the bed to intercept him. “Dude, you don’t look okay. Maybe-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! I am not doing this again!” The hunter shoved past him and made a run for the door only to almost immediately collapse as his weak legs buckled and his head spun. Lance lunged to catch him, being only a few inches too short from keeping the loud thud from shaking the floor. The hunter let out a weak groan as he struggled to shake the haze from his head, too weak to fight Lance from dragging him back towards the bed. He still tried to regardless, “N-No...don’t…!" He squirmed out of his grip and collapsed on the floor again, clutching his aching head as he attempted to crawl away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Lance tried to drag him off the floor again, a knock came to the door and Shiro poked his head in, his hand balancing a tray with two plates of food on it. "Hey, I figured you'd want to be comfortable while you ate after all of that…" He stepped over the two tousling boys, seemingly unaware of their fight and set the tray down on the small center table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro- ow! Did you just bite me??- can you help me out here!" Lance grit his teeth as he continued to try and pull the boy back towards his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro suppressed a laugh and gently picked up the boy after shooing Lance away. "Don't take it personally, Lance. Erythrodamine does not treat the body well in withdrawal."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eri-thro-what??" Lance cocked an eyebrow as Shiro dotingly bundled the hunter back up in bed. He didn't fight it, only managing to clutch at his scalp and squeeze his eyes shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a controversial drug that enhances the scent and taste of human blood. To a starved vampire, it's hypnotic how enticing it is…" Shiro gave the boy a judgmental eye. "I'm right, aren't I? You use Erythrodamine to lure desperate vampires into slipping up and getting trapped so you can kill them?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunter risked a hateful glare up at Shiro as he tried to process the world around him with his pounding headache. "Yeah? And what are you going to do to me for it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro huffed at the challenge and grabbed a glass of water off the tray. "What I'm </span>
  <span>going </span>
  <span>to do is make you eat and drink something. You lost too much blood in your little stunt as it is. These side effects aren't helping." Shiro pressed the rim of the glass to the boy's pursed lips, despite his attempts to turn away. "Come on, you'll feel better."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fuck y- hrgk!" Shiro tipped the glass into his mouth the moment it opened. The boy only drank to avoid choking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro cupped his chin and eased the water down his throat until the glass was about half empty and set it down on the bedside table. "What's your name?" Shiro asked gently, disregarding the boy's glare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"...Keith," he muttered quietly as he wiped his mouth. Shiro's smile widened, much to Keith's discomfort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keith," he sounded delighted to say it for himself, "My name is Shiro and this is Lance." Lance awkwardly waved as Shiro gestured to him. Keith gave them both an incredulous look but said nothing. "Now, let's get that blood sugar back up for you two." Shiro set a plate in Keith's lap as Lance sat at the small table his plate was on. "I know we had a rocky start but you're more than welcome to make yourself comfortable here Keith. Lance, I'm sure you'll help him get adjusted," Shiro turned to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh, Shiro-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure you'll get along in no time. Now eat up and I'll go draw you both a bath for after." Shiro abruptly opened the door to the room's adjacent bathroom and shut it behind himself, leaving the boys alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air was uncomfortable to say the least as Lance stiffly moved to eat his food before it got cold. Keith hesitated but he reluctantly picked up the plate. Better to take the risk of poison than starve to death at this point. "Good, huh?" Lance commented as Keith took a bite, at least making an attempt to strike up a conversation. "I didn't expect vampires to really know how to cook when I first got here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith hummed and shyly avoided eye contact, "It's...okay…" It really was well cooked, just not his favorite thing in the world. Still, it was hard to be picky at a time like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few more minutes of silence Shiro emerged from the bathroom. "If you need anything just ask the underlings to get me. Have a good day, you two. Sleep well." Shiro beamed sweetly and turned to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Goodnight, er, day…" Lance stuttered, "Man, you never get used to saying that," he laughed awkwardly, trying to just put some noise in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you always this easily manipulated?" Lance stilled at Keith's blunt question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh? What do you mean?" Lance asked, somewhat offended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're just going along with everything that </span>
  <span>thing</span>
  <span> says? No defiance or escape plans? Do you even understand the position you're in??"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s gut twisted a bit at all the questions. He was rude as hell but Keith had a point. "I...I guess I'm just scared…" Lance muttered, "Shiro, he's honestly been really nice. I don't imagine pissing him off would make things easier…" He sighed and chewed another bite of food. "I get that you're probably frustrated. But, you know, I'm in the same boat. We could at least, I guess, tolerate each other?" Lance shrugged, it was the best word he could think of but it didn't feel like it completely fit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith let out a soft huff, brushing his tangled bangs out of his eyes. "That...works for me. I guess…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boys finished their meal before Lance stood up with a stretch. "Ugh, I'm still covered in dirt. Can you walk? You need help?" Lance offered his hand as he turned towards the bathroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith lightly swatted his hand away. "I'm fine," he stood up and promptly got light headed and stumbled. Lance was faster this time and caught Keith by the arm, quickly moving in close to support him with his body. Lance would have been flustered with such a rugged boy hanging off of him like this if he didn't smell completely awful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith reluctantly let Lance hold him upright as he walked, pushing the bathroom door open and following him in. "You can let go now, it was just a head rush," he commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt his cheeks burn a bit as he pushed himself apart from Keith. "Ah, sorry…" Keith took a few steps aside as he glanced around the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was steamy and humid, the bath water still just as hot as when it came out of the faucet, despite the time that had passed. A small spout was continuously pouring water into the tub and an open drain in the bottom continuously drained it out, keeping the water flowing and clean. But it was the size of the tub that caught Keith's attention. "This...is a communal bath?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah...I thought that was weird too. Guess Shiro kinda expects four people to use this place at once. I-I can wait until you're done or-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, it's fine…" Keith sighed and gripped at his own shirt for a moment before moving to peel it off. He kept his face turned away from Lance as he set it down on a nearby bench and threw off his pants as well. The sooner he stopped dwelling on it the better. Lance's face burned as he abruptly turned himself around, he waited until he heard the water of the tub sloshing to turn around. "Are you coming in or are you just going to stand there?" Keith asked, a bit tense as he sat in the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Y-Yeah, uhm…" Lance fumbled out of his dirty clothes and climbed in, staying on the far opposite corner from Keith. Lance turned and hovered his hand over a set of small bottles resting on the corner of the bath. “Here, I found these in here when I first used it. I’m pretty sure it’s shampoo.” Lance held out one of the bottles, keeping his eyes firmly above the waterline.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith didn’t seem as bothered and took the bottle to examine it. “I...it’s actually shampoo,” he said with a bit of surprise as he poured a bit into his hand and spread it around with his fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you expect, exactly?” Lance raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just...haven’t had a bath like this before,” Keith mumbled as he ran his hands through his hair, letting the soap spread out and foam into his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, have you never washed your hair?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I have, dumbass. I just never really had a tub.” Lance noticed Keith begin to visibly tense and shiver despite the warmth of the water. “G-Grew up on showers, you know?” Keith choked out before promptly dunking his head into the water to wash out the soap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance hummed and waited for him to resurface, “So, how did you end up out here? Did you get taken and sold too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith huffed as he pushed the wet mop of hair out of his face, “You say that so nonchalantly. But yeah, it was something like that. Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just- do you know anything about this place? I mean, vampires are real! This is kind of a lot to take in and I’m not sure I can really ask any of the ones here about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed and leaned back against the tub. “This is what you need to know,” he brushed his hair behind his shoulder, revealing a large, messy scar stretching across his entire collarbone and neck area. His other hand gripped the seat in the tub a bit tighter as he kept his breathing steady. “We’re blood pets. Stolen away by sellers and purchased by aristocratic vampires to keep their immortality. Lazy bastards can’t even be bothered to hunt humans every night so they just drink from the same few until they peter out…” Keith quickly covered his scar with his hair again, tense and uncomfortable about baring it; even if it was to prove a point. “I got away last time and, after these stupid side effects go away, I’m getting the hell out here too. You can get your soul drained until you bite the dust if you want but I am not letting another fucking vampire take control over my life.” Keith’s voice was laced with a low growl and after that he promptly turned away, silently declaring that this conversation was over. Lance reluctantly respected that demand and returned to quietly washing himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith was the first to leave the bath. He found a cabinet of folded towels and took one for himself, wrapping it around his waist. He padded across the slick stone floor, not sparing Lance a look as he continued to sit in the tub. He stopped as he rounded the tub towards the door and lightly leaned his back against the high side of it. "Listen, we can help each other here. I know how to fight and escape vampires. You seem to know plenty about this vampire and this place. We can work together to escape."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance frowned softly and turned back to address him, "You really don't seem keen on staying, so how about this. I’ll help you figure out a way to leave on one condition. I...I don't want you to kill Shiro." Lance bit his lip nervously, "I just...I don't think I could be responsible for that, even indirectly."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith let out a soft huff of air as he pushed off the tub, wandering over towards his clothes. "Deal, but I still need to get my knife back before I can go. You think you can find it?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shouldn't have been doing this. He told himself he shouldn't be doing this. "You know the layout. I would just get lost," Keith had told him while he tucked himself into bed. Meanwhile here Lance was, risking his butt when Shiro expected him to be asleep!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had considered checking to see if Shiro was sleeping but he'd chickened out of going anywhere near his bedroom door. Instead, he quietly descended the stairs, the closed curtains over the windows letting in small slivers of light as morning broke. Lance held back a yawn, it was so strange to suddenly have a nocturnal schedule.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance finally reached the door to the basement and he froze. He hadn't been down here yet. Shiro had warned him not to come here without supervision. He could only imagine what was down there, or what would happen if he got caught. It made his stomach turn. Reluctantly, he reached out to grasp the iron handle and pulled the door open. Before him was a set of long stone steps leading into a seemingly endless darkness. Lance gulped, gently braced the wall, and began his descent. He debated closing the door behind him but he needed whatever light he could get to avoid tripping and breaking a leg. He managed to fall into a pattern walking down the steps so even when it turned pitch black he kept up his pace. He </span>
  <span>did</span>
  <span> nearly throw his face into a wall when the staircase made a slight turn but soon the stone began reflecting an unnatural green light. It gave him just enough light to make out the outlines of the stone and where the stairs ended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the bottom was an expanse of tall and messy shelves. A few were filled with thick and cryptic looking books and others were littered with jars and strange items. It looked similar to Rolo's shop but more dusty and disorganized. "Okay, come on...knife...knife…" Lance murmured to himself as he scanned the shelves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance screamed and turned around at the voice. Shiro was sitting, shirtless, at a small workbench, the green light behind him making the illumination of his eyes brighter and more unnerving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sh-Shiro! I...uh," Lance stammered as he nervously wrung his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did you need something?" Shiro was as calm as ever as he turned back to his work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nervously shuffled closer, refusing to admit to himself that his eyes were wandering Shiro's well-built body, "I was just, ah, wondering if you know where that knife went, the one Keith had." Lance glanced over the workbench, a small dish of strange dark liquid was convulsing gently, seemingly at the will of Shiro's hand. The green light was coming from the tubes of a machine Lance could never hope to identify.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just a moment, Lance. This takes a lot of concentration…" Shiro turned all of his attention to the liquid. It jumped from the bowl and latched onto the stump of Shiro's amputated arm. Lance tensed as he watched Shiro suck in a breath and the squirming mass settled into place. Using his hand, Shiro smoothed the bumps and very carefully sculpted the end of the mass into five broad fingers, constantly using his other arm for reference. Once he was satisfied, he turned to Lance. "Can you help me with something Lance? Grab that bottle next to you." Lance obeyed and grabbed the first bottle he saw, a small brown dropper bottle. "Unscrew the cap and put three drops on this, spread them out as much as you can." Shiro held the black mass out to him, it smelled eerily similar to ink, with a hint of licorice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance carefully squeezed the dropper over it until a single drop fell over the palm. The drop changed nearly the entire hand from black goo to realistic skin as it spread out in a large circle. Lance laid the last two drops further up the arm and within moments it was indistinguishable from Shiro's other hand. He squeezed and flexed his new fingers a bit with a satisfied smile. "That should do. Thank you Lance." Shiro reached behind him and pulled his shirt out from where it had been draped on his chair. "I believe you asked about this?" Shiro picked the knife up from a nearby shelf as he pulled his shirt back on and began buttoning it. "You know, it's fascinating. Do you know what this blade is, Lance?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uhhh…sharp?" Lance instinctively took a step back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro laughed softly and held the hilt out to him. "Some nickname these types of blades ‘god killers’. They're forged with the express purpose of slaying immortals." Lance hesitantly reached out to take it. "I'm sure it means a lot to Keith. Make sure he gets it back."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I...okay…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll give you a light so you can find your way back up. Get to bed, Lance."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that Lance promptly scrambled back to the stairs, the lanterns on the wall lighting one by one as he sprinted past them.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I know it’s short notice. Are you sure it won’t be too much trouble?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come now, of course it’s no trouble. Things have been a bit...turbulent the last few weeks but anything for a friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you Shiro. You’re a lifesaver.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I pride myself on being an excellent host.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sat on the edge of his bed, he’d managed a long but unsound sleep despite the comfortable bed to lay on. He blinked slowly, watching the reflection of his eye in the shining blade of his long knife. He lightly bounced the familiar weight in his hand, still in awe that he was even holding it at all. His attention finally fell to Lance as he heard the boy groaning and shifting in his own bed across the room. His legs tangled in the sheets and his back arched off the mattress as he stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “Hey, evening…” Lance greeted with a yawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really are just rolling with this, huh…” Keith rolled his eyes and stood up from the bed. “But...thanks for getting this back. I appreciate it,” he gestured to the knife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, he just gave it back to me. Told me it was some kinda demon murder weapon and shooed me off,” Lance explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know! This guy is so weird sometimes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith gave his knife another once over before deciding to set it down on the nightstand by his bed. “It’s up to something… This one seems very skilled with magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think he tampered with it or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not taking the chance that he did. Not yet, anyway,” Keith explained as he went to examine his own wardrobe, following Lance’s direction as he got up to get dressed. Keith nearly shuddered as he pulled on the clothes; a perfect fit. How did it know?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance led him downstairs, the underlings eying Keith as they were cleaning things by the stairwell. Keith glared at them back and they either went back to work or scrunched up to try and look threatening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, they really don’t like you,” Lance commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The feeling’s mutual…” Keith muttered as they stepped into the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Lance,” Hunk greeted from the table, “And you must be Keith. Shiro told me all about you.” Keith growled and blatantly ignored him. “Well it’s a variety again today since we have a newbie in the house. Eat up you guys.” Hunk piled up an excessive amount of the food onto one plate, handing it off to the two underlings waiting beside him. “For Master Shiro. Be careful not to spill, you guys.” Hunk opened the kitchen door for them and watched them make their way up the stairs towards Shiro’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shiro’s not eating in here tonight?” Lance asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He said he was busy so I’m letting him hermit up tonight,” Hunk chuckled and sat down with the two boys; Keith very obviously sitting as far away from the other vampire as possible. Even as Hunk attempted to make conversation, notepad at the ready, Keith didn’t speak through the entirety of breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance eventually led him out once their plates were cleared, “Dude you didn’t have to give Hunk the silent treatment. I don’t even think he drinks blood.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s still a vampire, Lance, of course he drinks blood. I’m not dealing with any of them if I don’t have to.” Keith crossed his arms and huffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed, equally frustrated, “How about I just show you around then. Maybe you can find something useful at least since you’re so eager to get out of here…” Lance began leading Keith around the first floor, standing guard as Keith fussed with the shelves and examined every inch of the foyer and hallways for extra passageways. “Well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith crouched in front of an air vent on the wall. “These vents are a little big, and I think I hear somethING!” he jumped as one of the underlings skittered past the vents entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...I hate those things,” Lance stated in the frightened silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agreed,” Keith responded as he quickly backed away from the vents. They would likely be too small to be useful to them anyway. “Where was it going anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The dining room and the ballroom are that way but Shiro told me there’s not enough people living in this place to justify using them,” Lance explained as he started leading Keith to the aforementioned rooms. Sure enough, when Lance pushed the doors to the ballroom open, more than half a dozen underlings were in there, scrubbing the floors and helping each other carry furniture. Despite their hollow, expressionless faces, they all appeared panicked and rushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith went to step inside only for two of them to scamper up and forcibly push Keith’s foot back up to keep it from touching the floor. “Whoa-!” Keith stumbled back as he attempted to regain his balance, bumping into something before he could completely fall over. He looked up only to see Shiro’s smiling face looking down at the human resting on his chest. Keith nearly yelped as he whipped around, backing away from Shiro and only stopping when the underlings jabbed him in the ankle as a warning not to cross onto the ballroom floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Busy little bees, aren’t they,” Shiro commented with a wide grin. “You might have guessed already but we’re hosting a party tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A party?” Lance questioned, his body still rigid from the startling appearance of the vampire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A friend of mine was having trouble with their venue so I offered the estate as a substitute. I can’t believe you’re both having your first party so soon. Although, the little ones are a bit upset that I gave them such short notice," Shiro smiled and gave the underlings an apologetic wave as they returned to vigorously scrubbing the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No!" Lance and Shiro immediately drew their attention to Keith's outburst. "I don't care how much control you think you have over me. I'm not going to a fucking vampire party." Keith snapped, glaring Shiro down despite his towering height.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro was silent for a moment, it was difficult to tell if his expression was one of disappointment or restrained anger. Either way, his enthusiasm for the party was noticeably diminished "I...suppose you may not be ready for that yet. In that case, you'll have to stay in your room during the party. Lance, would you still join me?" Shiro spoke delicately, as if speaking loud enough would make Lance snap at him as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt a lump in his throat as the two of them stared him down, Keith with a glare and Shiro with almost timid doe eyes. Lance managed to choke down the lump, "I guess I can do that…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro's face lit up again while Keith's scowl grew. "Perfect, I have some more preparations to make. Keith, how about you go get some reading material from the library. Wouldn't want your bored while you're up there tomorrow."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith's glare faltered a bit, "You have a library?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was quick to grab Keith's arm and interject, "I'll show him around, Shiro. See you later," he waved and tugged Keith towards the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith swatted Lance's hand off of him after a few steps, "Don't touch me!" he hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just roll with it, okay?" Lance whispered back, "I don't want Shiro to- huh?" Lance's eyes drifted back to the ballroom door, Shiro was gone without a trace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith seemed unfazed and continued up the stairs, keeping his pace quick enough that he and Lance had a fair amount of distance between them. “Come on, I want to see what it has in this library,” Keith called as he reached the second floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance scrambled up after him and took the lead as he found the main door into the library, struggling for a moment to remember which door it was since Shiro had only shown him the side door the first time. Keith let out a soft breath of awe at just how many shelves there were as Lance pushed the doors open. “Yeah this place is crazy. Apparently his family designed the shelves like this to make sure intruders got lost looking for whatever they wanted,” Lance commented, effortless regurgitation the tidbit that Shiro had told him a few days ago, nearly word for word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what?” Keith blinked in surprise and picked up his pace to look at Lance directly as he walked further into the library.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s what Shiro told me,” Lance shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do realize what this means, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That vampires are book hoarders?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead for a moment to keep himself from calling Lance anything rude. “It means that there’s something in here that is worth stealing, in its eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, duh, have you seen this place? This stuff is probably worth more money than I’ll make in my entire life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you shut up for two seconds and let me finish?” Keith huffed as Lance held his lips shut. “If the protective measures are in the library that probably means that whatever it is that’s valuable is a book; information on vampires or this particular vampire. Maybe we can find it’s weakness somewhere in here.” Keith turned to continue down the narrow hall of books and Lance stumbled to catch up to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not gonna kill him, remember?” Lance crossed his arm with an incredulous look at the back of Keith’s head that Keith seemed to notice despite not even looking at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We won’t kill it Lance, I’m not going back on my word. But knowing anything it's weak to would be useful.” Keith lightly brushed his fingers across the book spines as he scanned the shelves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you think he’s guarding some secret book in here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now’s as good a time as any to find out-” Keith stumbled back a bit as he finally focused in front of himself and nearly ran into a bookshelf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need some help navigating there, bud?” Lance asked coyly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith huffed and turned around to face him, clearly pouting, “You wouldn’t happen to know a better way to look through this place, would you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance snickered and gestured for Keith to follow, “This is easier, c’mon!” Lance climbed up the bookshelf and managed to squirm his way onto the top of it, Keith following a bit more effortlessly. “There’s an index catalog this way. Maybe it’ll help.” Lance held his arms out as he gingerly walked across the shelves like a balance beam, Keith followed him slowly, hopping down once they reached the reading area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nudged the small box of index cards towards Keith, and sat down on the table as he flipped through it. Apparently all of these shelves were labeled and sorted by category and subcategory. Most of the first floor was non-fiction and encyclopedia books while the second floor held everything else. Keith glanced behind him and sure enough there was a small plaque displaying a number on the wooden border of the shelf. “I say we check upstairs,” Keith concluded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, but let's get you a book on animals or something too so Shiro doesn’t get suspicious,” Lance got back to his feet and a moment later a book nearly hit him on the head, smacking the floor with a loud thud. Lance picked up the book and sure enough, “Wild Cats From Around the World,” he read the title aloud with slight disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith cocked an eyebrow and looked around, “Where did-? Oh.” Lance followed Keith’s gaze upward, one of the underlings was on the shelf beside them, now nestled into the gap the thick book had left. “You were listening to us?” Keith asked, approaching the little creature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah,” Lance lit up a bit as he remembered. “I always see this one in here organizing the books.” He’d seen most of the underlings rotate in and out of chores. One day they were cleaning, the next they were patrolling the manor’s perimeter, the next they were nowhere to be found only to appear hovering around Shiro the day after that. But this one was an oddity. The one with thick triangle horns was always in the library and always the only one in the library.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well then maybe they know where to find something useful,” Keith arched up on his toes to reach the underling’s eye level as they stayed curled up on the high shelf. What to ask it though… “I’m looking for your master’s special books,” Keith requested, keeping his wording vague just in case this thing started sounding off alarms or something. Thankfully it stayed quiet and quickly crawled out of the shelf gap. It leapt from the top of the shelf to the banister lining the second floor, sitting patiently as it waited for them to follow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance found the staircase leading up and the two boys hurried up the smooth marble steps as the underling began weaving through the shelves. It made a strange chirping noise when it found the correct shelf and sat on top of it proudly as it waited for Lance and Keith to catch up. Keith eagerly approached the shelf and began scanning it for journals or bound leather books about killing vampires, maybe even a spell book!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance took a step back and stared in confusion, “Are...are these all romance novels?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wha...no, no no there's no way this is right," Keith muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whoo, some of these look pretty scandalous too. Guess I know what you meant by 'special books'."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith blushed and glared at Lance, "Just-! Shut up, and keep looking. There's gotta be something."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"All I see are a bunch of paperbacks covered in half naked dudes and like seven copies of this fairytale book. Can't read the weird vampire language though," Lance commented as he looked over the thin book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith blanched, "Lance, that's French."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took one of the other identical copies off the shelf as Lance sputtered for an excuse about his language class in high school being Spanish. The book was clearly ancient, the print was legible but faded, as were the intricate ink drawings printed on fragile yellowed paper, "Beauty and the Beast..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know French?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, but I mean, it's kinda obvious with all the drawings," Keith pointed out the images of some kind of creature and a woman together. "Why so many of these, though?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Dunno, Shiro's a weird guy, even by vampire standards," Lance gingerly slid the book back in place as Keith huffed in frustration. The underling was still sitting there, proud and eager for them to ask for something else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, fine. I'll get some books to entertain myself and we'll come back here another time. Wonder if he has any books on weaponry…" Keith muttered to himself. In a flash the underling took a flying leap off the shelf of romance novels and over the banister. It tumbled across the shelf tops before it stopped and waited eagerly for the boys to follow. Lance slipped one of the more steamy looking romance novels in the back pocket of his pants and followed Keith back down the steps to where the underling was waiting for them. Sure enough the shelf below them was filled with books on medieval weapons, the many kinds of blades, and how-to survival guides. Keith gathered a few of the books and one of the fiction novels left on a small cart to be sorted and put back. He and Lance made their way back up to the bedroom to settle in and wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After breakfast the next day, Shiro pulled Lance aside as Keith promptly left to hold up in his bed. "You need something, Shiro?" Lance asked as Shiro guided him past the pet bedroom and towards his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You need something to wear to the party," Shiro explained as he opened the door and stepped inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance lingered in the doorway, hesitant to enter the vampire's personal space, "This isn't okay…?" Lance lightly pulled at his thin button up with a soft frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not quite, you should be able to look nicer than just what you wear every day." Lance blushed a little at that. Shiro wanted him to look good… "I think I managed to make this one fit your body type but you should try it on soon so I have time to make adjustments." Shiro set a thin clothing box in Lance's hands and pat his head, "Go freshen up and I'll come get you once I need you downstairs."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt something tumble around in his chest as his eyes rested on that bright smile before he turned around to return to the pet room. He did as Shiro asked and promptly slipped into the bathroom, choosing to use one of the four small showers at the back of the room, rather than filling up the large bath. He meticulously scrubbed his hair and didn't step out until his entire body smelled fresh and flowery. He rubbed himself dry with a fresh towel before tying it around his waist and stepping back into the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith was turned away from him, using one of the room's lanterns to read one of the books he had taken from the library. "You're really going through with this?" he asked. It had less bite than his usual questioning of Lance's actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's the worst that could happen? It's not like parties require a human sacrifice," Lance responded confidently. "Right?" his voice immediately cracked with worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed and shook his head. "I've never been part of a vampire dinner party, but I doubt it. It seems like you’ll be used more as a decorative accessory to the vampire."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, no turning back now I guess…" Lance muttered as he opened the dress box that Shiro had given him. He pulled out the mess of fabric to try and figure out how to put it on and eventually managed to unzip the back. He slipped into it, clumsily figuring out what was a sleeve, what was an accent piece and still being unsure if he even put it on correctly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith nearly choked to death when his eyes flicked up to see Lance's state of dress. The base of the outfit was...revealing to say the least. It was practically a strapless black dress that, thankfully, ended in shorts instead of a skirt with gradients of blue tulle draping down from his waist and wrapped around his arms in billowy see-through sleeves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance blushed as he looked himself over in the mirror. The sleeves only reached his upper arms and he had to pull harshly to get the outfit to comfortably cover his chest. It left Lance's entire neck and collarbone area exposed, his stomach dropped when he noticed that. Even with that thought to dwell on he still emptied the box, putting on the silk flower clip and thin ballet flats to complete the look. He shivered a bit from all of the exposed skin but even with all the confusion and fear bubbling to the surface, a part of himself thought he looked pretty damn good. His silhouette was dramatic and graceful, even if it wasn’t exactly a masculine suit. He turned to Keith as the tulle hanging from his waist spun out and wrapped around him. “Well, how do I look?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith instinctively tried to cover his flushing cheeks as his brain specifically focused on just how much skin the outfit exposed with it’s low back, see-through pieces, and strategically cut out sections to show off the skin of Lance’s waist. “It’s uh...bold,” Keith managed to choke out before he abruptly took his eyes away to bury his nose in his book again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance frowned slightly, “Yeah, I’m a little worried about prancing around the ballroom like this but it’s honestly kinda cool. I just wasn’t expecting it, I guess…” he mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a minute of silence, a knock came to the door and Shiro poked his head in, “Lance?” Shiro let out a soft gasp when he spotted him and entered the room with a bright smile. “Lance, you look wonderful! I’m glad it fits, the fabric was so finicky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance blushed and crossed his arms to cover his upper chest nonchalantly, “You made this yourself..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, modified it actually. I’m glad I still had it after all this time. Blue is absolutely your color,” Shiro smiled fondly as he looked him over entirely, occasionally fussing with a loose thread or crooked clasp. That look made Lance's entire body spike with warmth and he started to squirm a bit. "Have a good night, Keith. I'll send dinner up to you later," Shiro waved to Keith, who blatantly ignored him, before guiding Lance out of the room. The ground floor was absolutely spotless, not a speck of dirt to be seen outside of the still bustling kitchen when Shiro poked his head inside and Lance followed suit out of curiosity. "How are things coming, Hunk?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The appetizers are done, just give me the word on when to set them out," Hunk replied, not looking back from his place at the stove.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Give it twenty minutes or so, the guests shouldn't be here until one." Shiro gave the chef a proud smile before ducking back out to let him work in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance trailed Shiro's every step as he looked over the ballroom again. The massive curtain was drawn back and the glass door leading out to the garden was open, letting in the cool night air. The room's far wall was lined with tables draped in white cloth, plates, glasses and bottles of wine were already placed there. Lance's eyes drew up to Shiro's face, his eyebrow knit together and his jaw noticeably firm. "You nervous?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The question broke Shiro's concentration for a moment and he turned back to face him. "Not nervous, per say. This gathering won't exactly be large and formal; they're people I know well. I just can't help the feeling that it came together a bit too easily. It's the first time having you at a party and I would hate for things to go wrong."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "So, what's this party for, exactly?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro perked up again at that, "A good friend of mine received an award for his work in the occult sciences. His wife wanted to celebrate properly so she's been planning this for weeks. Their original venue plans fell through so I offered my space free of charge," Shiro explained. "They should be here soon and everyone else will file in from there."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So, a family and friends sort of thing. I can handle that," Lance grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure they'll enjoy you, Lance," Shiro gave him a warm smile before his ears caught a chirping noise by the front door. "Looks like they're here." Sure enough when Lance approached the foyer window, he spotted another, less extravagant, carriage pull through the gates as the underling perched on the spires continued to chirp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the carriage stepped a middle aged woman and a younger man that looked closer to Lance's age; although they were likely both far older than they appeared. The last one out was a much smaller figure with a thick cloak draped over them. Shiro opened the door wide and smiled at them, the young man almost immediately running up the front steps to embrace him. "Shiro!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Matt!" Shiro squeezed the smaller vampire happily, lifting him off the ground. "It's been too long. It's so good to see you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman smiled at the exchange as she approached them, "Shiro…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Colleen…" Shiro nodded to her respectfully in response as he finally put Matt down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We came early to check how things were coming along," Colleen explained. "Thank you so much for hosting, Shiro."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled and stepped aside to let them in. "It’s my pleasure. Where is the guest of honor anyway?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We told Dad to come by later. This whole celebration's been a secret from him, actually," Matt said with a wink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro's eyes finally drifted to the little cloaked lump that was staring up at him. "Oh! Pidge is that you? You’ve gotten so big I almost didn’t recognize you!” Shiro beamed as he crouched to greet her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha ha, very funny, Shiro,” Pidge huffed and pulled the hood of her cloak off, still smiling despite her sour tone. Shiro affectionately tousled her messy hair and stood back up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, are the preparations going okay?” Colleen asked, “I’m sure you could use some help."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shied away slightly as Colleen and Shiro started discussing what was left to be done. Sure being friends with Shiro had been a good sign they were friendly but, especially in this outfit, he couldn't help but raise his guard. He didn't make a single noise but the vampires still seemed to notice and turn to face him. "So you did get a new pet," Colleen commented, seeming pleased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey," Lance nearly flinched when a hand was placed out in front of him. "I'm Matt and this is my sister, Pidge." Matt's smile was genuine and friendly while Pidge seemed less sociable; although not particularly hostile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance," Lance shook his hand and flashed a confident smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, you catch hypothermia yet?" Pidge commented with a casual wave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, but depending on how long this lasts I won't have any toes left by the end of the night."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two vampires laughed and Matt patted his shoulder. "Wish I could help but I'd just make you colder."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance chuckled at that and sat down with the two of them on the couch in the foyer as Shiro and Colleen left to discuss the final preparations. "So Lance, you holding up with Shiro okay?" Matt asked, the grim context of the situation left entirely forgotten yet again, "I know he isn't exactly high maintenance but I'm sure this is jarring."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nodded in agreement. "Shiro's been really nice. Still miss my family though...and the internet. Do you guys even know what that is? Or am I like...back in the 1900s and no one knows what I'm saying."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"1800s, genius," Pidge snickered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh god, it's even worse than I thought!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Holts laughed even harder and Matt sympathetically patted his back. "No, Lance, you didn't time travel. We know what internet is. We're more like uh….Katie what was it called?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Amish?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah that's it!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance snickered, "Magical Amish makes you guys sound way less scary."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh we're way cooler than those guys. We don't use standard fuel or electricity but I'm sure you've noticed that in some respects we're actually more advanced than humans," Pidge explained as she smugly adjusted her glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro's carriage is basically a self driving car…" Lance muttered. "Still, now that I've had some time to calm down about everything I can't believe I've been off social media this long. Bastard slave trader probably still has my phone..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You wouldn't get any signal out here anyway," Pidge mentioned, Matt seeming to nudge her a bit before she said anything else on the subject.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mmh...still…" Lance’s mind drifted a bit but he kept himself from tearing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Matt leaned into his line of sight with a sympathetic smile, “We got a party to enjoy. Let’s try to have some fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pillaging snacks and raising hell!” Pidge chimed in enthusiastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance smiled back, “Those sandwich rolls looked pretty good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Holts’ smiles grew wide and impish, “You think we can swipe some before the party starts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re gonna try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a calm but lengthy scolding from Hunk, Shiro, and Colleen, Shiro parted from them as the underlings outside began chirping again. “Lance, do you want to come greet the guests with me? Quite a few of them have been waiting to meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Lance followed Shiro to the front door in time to see a gorgeous woman step out of a lavish white carriage. Long white hair framed her slim figure as she ascended the front steps with a soft smile on her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gently took her hand and gave a small, gracious bow. “Princess, it’s an honor to see you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman laughed and retracted her hand. “Still sticking to the nicknames are we, Shiro?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro huffed out a laugh as he stood back up, “Fine, Allura, I retract my bow then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura scoffed, “So childish of you…” The two still shared fond smiles regardless until Allura’s gaze drifted to Lance. “Oh, this must be the new pet you mentioned. Lance, was it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance put on his most charming smile, even if it was difficult to look suave in this outfit. “Oh? You heard of me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The pleasure’s all mine for a pretty lady like you,” Lance winked, draining his blood didn’t suck out his sense of humor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura giggled, “Quite the flirt you found this time Shiro,” she smirked as she brushed past them to step inside, “Cute too.” Lance’s face erupted with heat at the blunt remark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gave him a gentle but stern look in return. “Don’t get any ideas, Lance. She’s teasing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance smiled, he wasn’t too beaten up about it considering they just met, “Why? You gonna get jealous?” Shiro didn’t respond and was quick to go meet another guest. It left an odd feeling in the air that Lance reluctantly let go of as Shiro ushered him down to meet someone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time Lance stepped back into the ballroom it was starting to get pretty crowded. Shiro led the guest of honor, Sam, in with them. The man was nearly in tears from the surprise and soon enough the party was in full swing. Lively music played from a source Lance couldn’t identify, the appetizers were picked clean, and friendly chatter filled the room. Not many people talked to Lance; Matt and Pidge were friendly with him when they weren’t catching up with their father but he didn’t mind. Exploring the ballroom and adjacent garden was enough to keep him occupied between swiping snacks; the well cared for grass being oddly comfortable to walk across in his paper thin shoes. Eventually people began to say their goodbyes and leave, although a sizable amount seemed to be staying behind for dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Shiro began ushering them into the dining room there were maybe eleven guests left; the Holts, Allura, and a few other well dressed vampires Shiro and Sam seemed particularly close with. Shiro guided Lance with a gentle hand at his back to a smaller seat beside Shiro's at the head of the long dining table. Hunk offered drinks and answered the occasional question about the various dishes as they were passed around as the room filled with friendly chatter. Shiro offered a very fancy lasagna dish to Lance with a smile, "Eat up all you like Lance. A party is the best excuse to gorge, wouldn't you say?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance grinned and took the offered dish. He shamelessly piled his plate high with meat, pasta, exotic fruits, and a morsel of salad to try and please the nutrition gods. Or just the disapproving look the Hunk had flashed him. Lance happily ate his fill while the other vampires told stories and laughed. Still, no one really talked to him but he wouldn’t have wanted to talk with his mouth full anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, a few underlings made their way onto the table to clear the dishes with Hunk’s assistance. The food-stained plates were replaced with small dessert cups and soon afterwards it was completely bare. The conversations slowly began to die down and it was then that Lance noticed a few of the guests at the table were beginning to look over at him. “Shirogane,” one of them spoke, “I hate to seem hastey but do you intend to keep that scent dangling over us the entire night. It’s becoming painful to ignore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro chuckled softly, “Always the impatient one, Ulaz. I suppose now is as good a time as any.” Lance looked up to Shiro in confusion as Shiro stood from his chair and offered his hand to Lance. “Lay on the table, Lance. I’ll help you up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was then the atmosphere of the room abruptly went cold. Lance felt his skin tingle as everyone was now looking at him with their unnatural stares. Lance reluctantly climbed up, the tablecloth making it slippery as Shiro guided him to the center and helped him lie down. A short yelp left his mouth as Allura and Kolivan at the end of the table abruptly grabbed his ankles while Matt and Pidge took his wrists in iron grips. “Don’t thrash, Lance. This will only take a moment…” Shiro whispered as his hand ended up resting over his eyes and he forced his head to the side as the others at the table grabbed at his body. Even with clothes on he felt laid bare as his heart pounded in his ears, his breaths quick and panicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the bites came; nearly a dozen vampires sinking their teeth into him, one even being bold enough to aim for his inner thigh. The fear and tension in his body made every puncture burn with pain. Lance would have shrieked loud enough to echo the room if he managed to have any air in his lungs to make more noise outside of a whimpering gasp. It felt like an eternity but the fangs eventually receded. Shiro was the last one to remove his mouth as Lance felt his body rapidly growing numb. The others let him go and Lance quickly attempted to sit up and get off the table. He was met with immediate vertigo but Shiro was quick to gather him up in his arms before he could fall over. The other vampires were talking but he couldn’t discern anything as he curled in on himself, staring in horror as the still bleeding bitemarks littering his body. Shiro excused himself and carried Lance towards the stairs with a soft smile. “You did so well, Lance. I knew they’d enjoy you…” he cooed gently as he carried him up to the pet room, an underling trailing behind him with a covered platter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up when the door opened, immediately reaching for his blade when he saw Shiro, who plainly ignored the threat. Lance was set in his bed, his bites dabbed with a small cloth as the underling brought over the platter, revealing the plate of fruits and a tall glass of water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to return to the party. Make sure he rests up, Keith.” Shiro smiled at them both and brushed Lance’s hair out of his eyes before he turned to leave, softly shutting the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Shiro’s footsteps were no longer audible Keith leapt from his bed and crossed the room to Lance. “Hey...” Keith frowned with worry as he sat beside Lance. He tensed as Lance abruptly sat up and threw himself into Keith’s chest, fingers digging into Keith’s shirt as his eyes started to water. “Lance..?” Keith hesitantly wrapped his arms around Lance’s back as he started to sniffle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Keith…” Lance choked out as he started to cry, “He didn’t tell me this would happen. They all just…” Lance squeezed his eyes shut as if that would take the sensation out of his mind. “You were right I want- I-I </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get out of here!” Lance’s words degraded into choppy, incomprehensible sobs as Keith continued to hold him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll get out,” Keith mumbled, “Just pull yourself together, okay?” Lance didn’t answer but his crying started to quiet down. He still kept a tight grip on Keith. He was warm, he was alive; it was almost funny. He’d almost forgotten what the warmth of another human felt like. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Album</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance didn't remember falling asleep. When his eyes opened again he was still curled up in bed, Keith slightly hanging off the side as he slept beside him. His wounds had scabbed and his clothes were now itchy and clammy. Lance sighed as he stared at his marked up skin, the confirmation that all of that happened making his chest feel hollow. Looking back on it, he felt violated. Shiro let an entire gang of vampires violate his body, even if it wasn’t in a sexual connotation. Although, whoever aimed for his thigh may have actually had that intention. Lance’s skin bristled at the idea, feeling unnerved and vulnerable. The fact that he was still wearing the outfit didn’t help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt Keith stir against him and turned to watch the boy wake up, if only to distract himself. “Hey…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith groaned softly and opened his eyes, slowly looking back up at Lance. “Hey…” he responded, his voice rough and weak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt his face flush as Keith made no move to part from Lance’s side, “Thanks...for staying with me yesterday…” he muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith took a moment to clear his throat before he responded. “Don’t mention it. Are you...okay?” he asked, awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed and curled in on himself a bit, “My head hurts but I’m not bleeding anymore if that’s what you mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, not really, but here; there’s still some stuff left on this plate that little creature left for you.” Keith finally sat up and leaned over the nightstand to grab the half-eaten plate of fruits. They didn’t look as appetizing being exposed to the elements for so long but they were still fine. Lance nibbled at the remaining assortment sluggishly as he continued to look down at his arms. He ran his fingers over the small scab left on his right arm while Keith finally got up from the bed. “Don’t pick at it,” he scolded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not!” Lance whined, “It’s just...my left arm doesn’t have a bite on it. I know someone bit me here but there’s no mark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith raised an eyebrow as he opened Lance’s wardrobe, “So, what? One of them only pretended to bite you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was all kind of a blur but I think Pidge was the one who grabbed me here. Heh, maybe her little baby fangs just couldn’t pierce me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That makes more sense than not biting you. No vampire can resist a fresh human sprawled out for them with barely any clothes on.” Keith frowned as Lance went silent and pulled the blankets close to his chest. “Sorry… Speaking of, you should get out of that thing. I’m sure you’ll feel better in actual clothes.” Keith set a change of clothes at the foot of the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance squinted slightly, suspicious. “Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith huffed and crossed his arms, “I didn’t want this to happen to you, okay? But...obviously being blunt wasn’t working given...last night. If being nice to you is so weird what </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>you want me to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, jeez, calm down. I didn’t say it was a bad thing. I just...didn’t expect it is all…” Lance pulled the clothes underneath the covers with him and squirmed his way out of his party outfit. He dumped the pile of fabric on the floor and managed to pull on his underwear and pants before pushing the blanket off of him. Keith was facing the window, giving him what privacy he could in the shared room. It was still daylight out but the sky was just beginning to turn orange, still quite early for vampires. Shiro was likely still asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro...he finally broke his demeanor last night. The fact that he kept such a kind façade made him almost more terrifying than a vampire that would always show their ferocity. Lance noticed his fingers trembling and forced them to stop as he finished buttoning his shirt. "So...what now?" he asked, shuffling over to stand beside Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We go back to our routine; same as they were before last night. If it thinks we're compliant it will drop it's guard," Keith explained, "Then we can make a solid plan of escape."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So...breakfast?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, let's get breakfast…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boys descended the stairs, Lance stalling his steps so that Keith would be in front of him. A shield to keep anything else from lunging for his blood. Hunk was in the kitchen already, looking tired and cradling a small bowl in his arms as he leaned against the counter. "You two are up early," he commented through a yawn, "Sorry, but none of the food is prepared yet."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We can wait," Lance replied, forcing a grin as he sat down in the nook with Keith. Hunk nodded and plucked a pear out of the bowl he was holding. It was stained a dark red, almost black, color. Lance almost didn't recognize the fruit. Hunk sank his fangs into the pear, sucking it dry of its juices before eating what pulp remained and throwing the core away. "What's with the fruit?" Lance asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh!" Hunk turned to address them as he threw out the core. "This is just what I do to ingest blood.” The boys cringed a bit as Hunk showed them the bowl, several fruits soaking in a pool of blood at the bottom, absorbing it. “It’s mostly deer blood actually. I don’t like biting people and hurting them but my fangs get irritated if I don’t use them somehow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you hurting the deer for blood?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I don’t mind eating animal meat. Just...not humans. I’ve tried it since I was turned but my stomach just gets unsettled...” Hunk explained, his voice drifting a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ironic…” Keith muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to feed more often this way but I’m comfortable with that.” Hunk drained another fruit before setting the bowl back in the fridge. “Now, let me get started on some food for you two.” Hunk turned around in a quick change and tied his apron securely around himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you were turned. Does that mean you were human once?” Lance asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk hummed out a yes as he gathered his ingredients and looked over his meal plan stuck to the wall. “Vampires can procreate but sometimes they’ll turn humans too. It’s been, pssh...seventy four years? Time really does blur when you hardly age.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t it be counterproductive for vampires to turn humans?” Keith asked, his tone a bit more snippy than he may have intended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s not that common. But it was...a kind gesture from their perspective, I guess. I really didn’t want to die that young...” Hunk hummed, somewhat mournfully. Those words left all three of them silent for some time. The clinking sounds of knives and pans clattering around the kitchen kept the lack of conversation from feeling unbearably quiet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like no time at all had passed when Hunk proudly set a tray of cut up fruits and omelets on the table in front of them. “This can tide you two over for a little bit right? The scones are still baking,” Hunk explained as Lance was quick to pick up his fork while Keith only moved once Hunk turned away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later a third, much hardier omelet was set beside Keith and almost immediately Shiro strolled into the kitchen, looking tired and more disheveled than usual. “Ah, I didn’t think you’d both be up so early,” he mused as he sat down, making both boys instinctively shift further away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gave Hunk a greeting as he grabbed his fork and shoved a massive bite from the over-stuffed omelet into his mouth; though he had the poise to swallow first before he spoke. “Lance, you’re looking well,” he leaned over the table and smiled, “I’m glad your first dinner party didn’t take too much out of you. Everyone adored your blood; I told them it was amazing but- hm?” He stopped when he noticed Lance shrinking in his seat, Keith subtly attempting to block Shiro’s view. "Lance, are you okay?" he asked softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith gave Lance a side glance as a silent reminder. Right, everything's back to normal… "I'm okay! Just- whoo I'm still kinda woozy," Lance said, dramatically sinking against the back of the booth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro didn't really appear to buy it, "Oh, well...good. I'm glad that it wasn't too much for you. I was a bit restless wondering if I should check on you but I trusted Keith to help you recover."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance's acting faltered, "Wait, you were worried?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked hurt at any implication that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> worried, "Of course I was. I knew you wouldn't bleed out but I know I sprung your first mass feeding on you quite suddenly." Lance felt goosebumps at the words '</span>
  <em>
    <span>first</span>
  </em>
  <span> feeding'. "I wanted you to enjoy the party without dreading it so I neglected to say anything. Maybe I should have; I never meant to scare you, Lance…" Shiro frowned softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance fought back the frown tugging at his lips, was he just being nice to win his favor or was it genuine? Lance couldn't discern his motivations anymore, as if he ever could. "It's...it's okay, just give me a little warning next time, yeah?" Shiro smiled, the potential storm settled. Keith gave Lance a brief glance, supportive and relieved. Lance did what he needed to in order to keep Shiro's guard down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk breathed a sigh of relief as he set the warm tray of scones on the remaining free space on the small table, “There, all done… Eat up you three,” he settled on the end of the booth and offered the scones to Keith and Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s in these anyway?” Lance asked as he curiously plucked one off the tray. “Oatmeal mostly, and fruit. That’s a blueberry one,” Hunk explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s eyes brightened a bit and he eagerly bit the one in his hands to try it. “Whoa, this is good. Make this all the time? Maybe??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro chuckled at the exchange, “Lance, don’t work my dear friend to death.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk still smiled and took out his notepad, “I’ll keep that in mind for a special treat, Lance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Lance childishly begged, Keith quietly swiped another scone off the tray and examined it before taking a bite. “Alright fine, at least tell me what the other flavors are,” Lance leaned over the tray to look them over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro inhaled half of another scone in one bite, “Oh, peach! I though this was orange for a second…” Shiro muttered as he continued to eat. "Yep, it's blueberry, peach, and lemon," Hunk pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith suddenly gasped, the rest of the table turning their attention to him. He'd thrown the partially eaten scone back down on his plate like it burned him. Judging by his fingers, it actually did. His hand was beginning to bloom with a rash largely on his fingers and palm and his lips swelled. "Whoa, Keith are you okay??" Lance asked, leaning in a bit closer and indecisive on how to help. Keith opened his mouth to speak but only a hoarse squeak managed to breach his throat. His panic immediately set in as his breaths became choked and weak. He brought his hands to his neck as his eyes bulged with fear, as if he could pull his airways back open from the outside. The panic began to rub off on Lance as well as he looked to the vampires for help, "What's happening??"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro was quick to stand up and pull Keith into his arms. He struggled for a moment in his panic but Shiro’s strength held him securely. "His throat is swelling. He can't breathe," Shiro managed to keep his voice steady and calm, but only barely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a blink, Shiro was out of the kitchen, the door hitting the wall behind it with a loud bang. Lance stood up, his heart pounding with anxiety, "Where did they go??"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro took him down to the basement. Come on," Hunk took Lance by the hand, running out the door after them. Lance gripped Hunk's hand tightly as they rushed down the dark stairs, Keith's choked out cries for air echoing off the stone walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk kept Lance from sprinting to the table as Keith twitched and cried, Shiro rushing around the room to rapidly add ingredients to a small bowl he had beside Keith. "Stay with me, Keith," Shiro comforted him gently as one of his arms vigorously stirred the bowl until everything had congealed into a runny, sticky, paste. Shiro wasted no time pouring the mixture into Keith's agape mouth as he still tried to breathe. Shiro pulled Keith upright once a decent amount was in his mouth and very delicately stroked his throat. "Shh...it's okay. Keep trying to breathe," Shiro soothed, his anxiety dispersing as he mumbled to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few seconds, Keith's airway popped back open. Keith gasped, coughed, and sputtered, hot tears of pain hanging in his eyes. "Keith!" Lance finally closed the distance between them, smiling with relief. He went to hug him but stopped just short, his hands left hovering and unsure before he put them back at his side. "You okay?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed as his breathing finally steadied, his voice raw and phlegmy, "Yeah, I'm okay…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro quickly turned to Hunk, "Why didn't you know he had a food allergy?" he didn’t exactly snap but his voice was still loud and stern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk took a cautious step back before he spoke, “I tried to ask him earlier but he refused to say a word to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t the eggs was it? I know that’s a common one,” Lance commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk shook his head, “No, that’s too slow of a reaction. It can’t be dairy either, he drank milk yesterday…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro turned back to Keith, his eyes piercing straight through him and sending a shiver up his body. “Tell me Keith. Tell me every allergy you know of.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith nearly bit his lip to keep quiet but Shiro’s hard look chilled him to the bone. “C-Citrus…” he choked out. “It was the citrus in the lemon…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro cradled Keith’s cheek and continued to stare into him, “Is that everything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And...mint…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro hummed softly, satisfied with the answer as he finally turned away. “Take close note of this, Hunk. I do not want a scare like this again.” Shiro kept himself composed as he quietly ascended the stairs again and Hunk quickly followed, scribbling away in his notepad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance looked to Keith, still sitting on the table. He began to curl into himself as Lance’s eyes fell on him, “Keith..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just...I told it. I told it everything…” Keith mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith you </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>have told him you had allergies. You almost died!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, no! It knows a weakness of mine. Who knows how something like that could use that against me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance stopped himself from raising his voice further. Keith being this shaken up and scared did not warrant another fight. Instead he gently offered a hand to help him off the table, “You wanna talk about this somewhere else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed and took his hand slowly, “I’d rather not talk about it at all… But I do want to go somewhere else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling abruptly done with breakfast, the boys shuffled up to the library; the lack of noise as their feet were muffled against the carpet soothed their minds as things finally began to calm down. Keith perched himself up on one of the shelves, a book of exotic plants plucked off the shelf. It didn’t garner any particular interest but the dull information on blooming patterns and pigmentation origins helped to focus his mind on something less stressful as his remaining rashes gradually faded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance, meanwhile, took to exploring the upper floor again. He made his way to the back wall, mindlessly tracing his fingers along the stone patterns etched into the decorative pillars lining the wall. As he wandered, his fingers caught an edge on one of the pillars. He looked back only to find his finger pulling open a panel in the pillar, the old hinges squeaking as he pulled it wider. Lance peered inside the dusty hidden space, an old, thick book resting inside. "Whoa...hey Keith! Come here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith reluctantly looked away from the riveting geographic locations for pitcher plants and twisted to look at Lance. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just come here! I found something.” Keith huffed and set the book down, walking across the bookshelves to the second floor banister and swinging his legs over to join him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Keith took the thick book from Lance and set on a small table nestled among the second floor shelves. The leather-bound brick of a book was only marked with a strange insignia in black ink on the front and spine. Keith gingerly opened the front cover, the aged pages appearing very delicate. The first page held a black ink drawing of a man and a woman. Even without color Keith could tell, "More vampires…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro's parents?" Lance asked, pointing out the signature at the bottom of the page; Ryusei and Takame Shirogane 1581. "Oh man did they really name him Shiro Shirogane?" Lance chuckled. Keith made no comment and turned the page again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The book's words were written in Japanese with more line drawings scattered among the text. Much of them were images of strange devices and plants that Lance recalled seeing in the basement. Every image was capped with Takame’s signature in the bottom corner. Even if they couldn't discern any words, the text was all beautifully written, each character made with delicate precision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith skipped ahead and found a painting more reminiscent of those among the library. It was Takame again holding two baby bundles in her arms “Oh hey!" Lance pointed to the image and then up to the far wall of the library, "This must've been when they were born." Lance leaned in further, despite the invasion of Keith's privacy, to look for written names. "Ryou and...Takashi? Man I was actually kinda hoping for it to be dumb…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The simplistic line drawings were changed to more detailed watercolor paintings, Takame still wrote but Ryusei was the one signing his work beneath the art. Keith flipped further and the penmanship abruptly changed. The words now read horizontal rather than vertical and the lettering was noticeably more sloppy. The paintings were switched out for barely visible black and white photos for a few pages as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The writing gradually cleaned up and the paintings returned, albeit with a slightly different style. The twins were largely the focus of these paintings along with other unfamiliar people that looked...wait. "Humans?" Keith breathed out. They were of all shapes and ages but they all wore similar clothing as they did; white button ups and black pants. Every once in a while, a page was dedicated to the date that one of the human pets died, complete with a full watercolor portrait in their memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One particular human began to appear very frequently late into the book, a darker man with glasses. "Keith, look," Lance drew his attention to the painting behind them, the one with three humans framed around Shiro. "It's the same guy." Lance pointed to the same man in the portrait standing tall beside Shiro along with a younger girl and a scruffy older man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"These other two are barely in this part of the book. I wonder why this one is so special…" Keith muttered as he gazed up at the painting quizzically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where did you find this?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance and Keith whipped around on their heels, Shiro standing in front of them, delicately holding the book. "Sh-Shiro! I-we were just-!" Lance stammered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro glanced to the small hidden door and sighed, "I suppose I forgot to lock it last time…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is that book? Your family treasure?" Keith asked, somewhat accusingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked a bit bewildered as he shut the book, "In a way, I suppose. My family has kept a continuous written history of our name for centuries. You shouldn't have been able to find this but I suppose it's not your fault…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance hummed as Shiro turned to leave again. "Hey, Shiro?" he gestured to the painting again. "Who are these guys?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro seemed to visibly jolt as he stared up at the painting, as if he hadn't known it was ever there. "Just...past pets of the family. Nothing you need to worry about."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But- huh?" Lance turned around and Shiro was gone again, along with the book. "I wish he'd stop doing that…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them saw Shiro again for the rest of the night.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Tear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Shiro sighed as he leaned back in his chair, watching the small orb standing neatly on his desk, “Are you sure that your father should still be holding a swap right now, Allura?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t one to turn down a party, hosting or otherwise. Did your last one really tire you out this much?” the orb’s light flickered softly in time with Allura’s voice. He was quietly grateful that Allura couldn’t see his pout from where she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that. I keep hearing whispers of pets being stolen right under people’s noses. It happened to a good friend of mine just a few weeks ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shiro, you’re paranoid,” Allura soothed, “Come now, you know me. Any pets that come into my home are safe. And I really want you to bring Lance here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright, if you’re really sure. I just hope someone catches this pet thief soon…” Shiro sighed and turned his attention back to the blank page in front of him, pen in hand as he tried to find the words to add to the newest page. He found his fingers drifting, turning back to the page before it. The only memorial drawings that took up this many pages, the names written with a trembling hand. “Allura, can we continue this conversation later? Something’s...come up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, my father said he wanted to speak to me anyways. Talk soon, Shiro.” The glow of the orb faded and Shiro stepped back from his desk.</span>
</p><p>------------</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed as he mindlessly bounced his leg, laying on his bed and weighing his options. “There has to be something we haven’t looked into yet. If the library labyrinth was hiding that tome, then where would things of even greater value be?” Keith paused, raising an eyebrow when no response came. “Lance?” Keith sat up and looked across the room. Lance was nearly entranced by the book propped in his lap; a small paperback he grabbed off that romance shelf. “Hey, Lance,” Keith let out a small growl as he stood up and crossed the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance!” Keith snapped his fingers in front of Lance’s face, finally breaking him out of his daydream. Lance yelped and pulled the book to his chest instinctively. Keith’s eyes flicked down to the book’s cover. “Thrall of Passion? Are you reading through the vampire’s smut collection?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance promptly tried to hide the image of three half naked men groping one another with his hand as he tucked the book away from Keith’s prying eyes. “I just-! Thought it would be an enticing read…” Lance’s face flushed, “Anyway, what were you saying?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith huffed, “You’ve been here longer than I have. Is there any other places that come to mind where it would keep something important?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shrugged, "I mean...we've never looked in Shiro's room. I caught a glimpse before but I never walked in."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It does make sense that it would keep important things close to the chest… Alright, that's our next place to look."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I dunno, Keith. Shiro's been really evasive ever since we found that book. Even the little cleaning guys don't seem to know where he is. I think all our poking around put him on edge," Lance frowned slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well we still need information. I'm going in there tonight the moment I know it isn't there,"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just be careful, alright?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith nodded and tucked his blade into his pants pocket. “I’ll be in the library. Let me know if anything happens.” Lance sighed and waited until the door shut to pull his book out again. It really had become impossible to put down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith took fast, quiet steps to the library, looking over his shoulder at every turn. He managed to get into the library without issue and he immediately made his way to the second floor. He ran his hands up and down every pillar until he found the hidden compartment. Keith dug his fingers into the small crevice and pulled, wincing as his fingertips started to burn with pain. The panel didn’t budge, dammit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith huffed and turned to go back down the stairs. It was okay, with any luck he’d be able to see that book again and in that case he needed to be prepared. “Hey,” Keith called up to the underling currently dusting the shelves. The underling looked to him, it’s posture tall and eager for Keith to continue. “Language books,” Keith stated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The underling immediately scrambled around the corner, chirping for Keith to follow. It showed him to the books without issue and Keith promptly started picking through them. The underling watched, taking back every book that Keith didn’t want until he had a sizable pile and left the library with the stack in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he made his way back up the stairs, he spotted Shiro coming down the staircase, a long coat flowing gracefully behind him. He gave Keith a passing glance as he snapped his fingers to grab the attention of the underlings currently cleaning the nearby window; the one with the oddly bent horn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One of the others can finish this. I believe I owe you a trip out.” The underling jumped into Shiro’s arms eagerly and he continued to descend the stairs. He didn’t even seem to consider asking Keith to come along. He would have declined anyway but it still made Keith feel a bit uncomfortable. Shiro never missed a chance to pester either of them to be involved on his outings. Keith didn’t know what emotion he felt coming off of Shiro when their eyes met but malice was a strong candidate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith squirmed his way past the thick curtains blotting out the window and pressed his face to the cool glass to watch Shiro leaving out the front door. Once the carriage left the property, he scrambled up the rest of the stairs. This was his chance!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith took a breath and approached the door to Shiro’s room, large and ornate, one of the last places Keith had not seen in his spacious prison. He set the books beside it to keep his hands free and opened the door slowly, flinching when it creaked. He took another look to the hallway, nothing there. He took another breath; one step at a time. In one swift motion, he stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind him. Keith let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and looked out into the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was nearly pitch black, aside from a small sliver of moonlight creeping across the room from the curtains, the only sound was the ticking of a small clock on the nightstand. Keith shuffled his feet slowly, inching to keep from tripping over anything. His hands reached out and grasped the heavy velvet curtains, flinging them open to expose the room to the pale light of the full moon. The light was still minimal but at least he could see. The room was massive, only slightly smaller than the pet room meant to house four people. The ornate wardrobe towered over his head, the ceiling hung even higher, and the mattress of the bed met his stomach standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was also extremely well kept, as to be expected in all honesty. The floor was clean, nothing out of place, every piece of furniture dusted. It was almost like no one used this room at all; just staged and lifeless. Keith snapped out of his mindless gawking and promptly began looking around. He gingerly opened the drawer to the nightstand beside the bed, even his drawers of mindless little things were organized. It was somehow the most unnerving thing he’d seen so far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first drawer had a neat stack of thin books, a sleep mask, and some small bottles; judging by the labels, they were scented oils. The second drawer held several cloths, a larger jar, unlabeled, and a latched box, also unlabeled. The inside of the box was lined with a molded padding to protect the two items inside. There was a pill-shaped object the size of his palm and a larger, longer object that took up almost the entire width of the box. Both appeared to be made of some sort of rubber but, knowing vampires, it was likely a substance that humans were incapable of making. Still, neither seemed useful so Keith but the box away. The fact that these were obviously sex toys went so far over Keith’s head that it cleared over the entire castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith briefly examined the canopy bed; it’s thick black curtains parted and neatly tied up against the high bed posts. He found nothing in the pillows or sheets, and even if there was anything under the mattress Keith was not strong enough to lift it. He crossed to the other side of the room, finally finding something that appeared to have been used recently, the desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like everything else it was ornate, large, and extravagant, but Keith wasn’t going to get lost in how massive everything was again. The book from yesterday splayed out on top of it was much more interesting. The page it was turned to was farther than what he had seen the other day, another memorial page. Keith’s stomach twisted a bit at the fact that there were three memorial pages back to back, their death dates all identical and hauntingly recent. Keith squinted to read the text on the first page in the dim light, Adam Winters. The same man that had been so prominent in the recent pages.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike the others, Adam’s page was accompanied by a lengthy written page, dotted with spots of smudged ink. Keith huffed in frustration at the unreadable language before him. It was irritating to have the words right there and be unable to read them, but he was far from deterred.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith pulled a pencil out of his pocket and grabbed a blank sheet of paper from the tray on the desk. He wrote quickly and poorly but as long as he could tell which symbol was which he could find a way to translate it. His heart pounded faster with every line he wrote down, the longer he stayed the more he risked getting caught. Keith jumped when he heard something banging around in the vents. He frantically tried to convince himself it was just creaking as he wrote down another line. He had painstakingly finished the entire page when the light from the hallway flooded the room and Keith’s convulsing heart dropped into his stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith?” Keith whipped around, his free hand immediately grabbing for his knife as he turned to face the vampire looming in the entryway. “You shouldn’t be in here right now,” Shiro approached him, his voice steady and calm even as his body seemed to tremble with each step. Keith instinctively backed against the desk as Shiro reached out to grab his arm. “Go on, you should-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t touch me!” Keith wrenched his arm out of Shiro’s grip, the hold being so loose that his arm flew back onto the book as Keith corrected his balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith-” Shiro visibly flinched when Keith’s palm twisted and the delicate page beneath it ripped. Keith looked at the vampire’s stunned expression, then down to the wrinkled, torn page beneath his hand. Shiro’s breathing grew louder in the room, his horrified look at the page turned to an enraged glare piercing directly through Keith’s being.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith’s grip on his blade tightened, he needed to move! Shiro’s breathing turned to growling and as he reached to grab Keith again. Keith lunged to get past him and raised his blade up. He took a blind swipe at Shiro’s face and a pained scream echoed through the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With his blade in one hand and his page of notes in the other, Keith sprinted for the open door. He heard Shiro snarl behind him and a moment later an invisible force threw Keith into the hallway, the door slamming shut loudly behind him. Keith tumbled to the floor and struggled to catch his breath, staring down at the dark liquid staining the tip of his blade. He was so, fucking, dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance liked to think that this day was going well. He hopped down the stairs, slipped into the kitchen, ready to give Hunk a friendly greeting and get a peek at dinner. He was derailed almost immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold still!” Shiro winced but said nothing as Hunk scolded him and continued to blot at his wound with a small rag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened??” Lance looked over the scene with worry and approached the two vampires. Hunk looked at Shiro and Shiro looked down at the floor. “Shiro, where’s Keith?” Lance insisted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t seen him since lunch, Lance. Then out of nowhere Shiro comes down here with this cut on his face and won’t tell me what happened,” Hunk explained as he continued to treat the wound. The cut spanned the entire bridge of his nose, just barely missing both of his eyes. It was shallow but still stinging and bleeding profusely. Hunk set the bandage in place and sighed. “Master, I’m not sure there’s anything else I can do. It looks like this might be a permanent scar…” Shiro acknowledged what he said with a low hum, still not speaking a word. The vampire’s gaze was distant, wounded. It was like he was dying from the inside out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to go find Keith. This is freaking me out,” Lance turned on his heel and stepped out of the room, taking the stairs two at a time up to the library. “Keith? Keith!” Lance weaved through the shelves as he called out for him until, somewhere in the library, a shrill chirp rang out. Lance looked up when he heard scampering on the shelves above him. It was the library underling. “Hey, do you know where Keith is??” he asked. The underling didn’t seem as confident as usual but they began crawling back across the shelves. Lance climbed up and followed, watching as they stopped at a shelf and crawled across the front of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith wasn’t there but the little one still seemed to sniff at the sizable gap in the books on the shelf. Language books? The underling let out a frustrated chirp and scuttled away again, it almost looked ashamed that it failed. "So he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>here…" Lance hummed and left the library. He started opening up any doors he could find. He checked their room, nothing. He checked the bathrooms, nothing. He peered into the vacant guest rooms, nothing. He opened the utility closet as a last resort, only to be hissed at by a pile of napping underlings. He shut the door with a hushed apology.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Discouraged, he shuffled up the stairs to the very top floor. The stairwell narrowed into a tight spiral of stairs, ending inside an open spire standing high above the surrounding landscape. The night air was cold but fresh, a nice change from stuffy stone rooms. Even in the dim light, Lance spotted a figure hunched over against the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keith??" Keith flinched as Lance called to him and approached. "Keith, hey...are you okay?" Lance crouched beside him and tried to get a look at his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is it nearby?" Keith mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro? I doubt it. Hunk is still cleaning his wound. What happened??" Lance sat next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't have a choice! He was going to attack me," Keith blurted out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance immediately set a hand on Keith's knee, "Hey...it's okay...just tell me what happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith took a moment to breathe before nudging Lance’s hand off of him. “I looked into that room and found that book from yesterday. I copied some things down in the hopes of trying to translate it but I...I ripped a page on accident. It found me in there and I took a blind swing while I ran to try and keep it off me. I’ve been up here since…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance frowned softly. “That book seems to mean a lot to him. No wonder Shiro looked so...dead when I saw him. Come on, you should apologize. We gotta make sure he trusts us to get out, right?” Lance stood up and gently offered his hand to Keith. Keith sat there for a moment but eventually uncurled and took Lance’s hand to pull himself up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dragged his feet a bit as he followed Lance downstairs, leaving the paper and small pile of books on Japanese in their room before they went down to the kitchen. Lance glanced over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure Keith was following, giving him reassuring looks. He stopped at the kitchen door and gestured for Keith to step ahead of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on, I got your back,” Lance said softly. Keith took a moment to ground himself before he peered into the kitchen through the ajar door, hesitating as he watched Shiro speaking with Hunk. He seemed to be making a request for the food Hunk was preparing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re sure you want to do this?” Hunk questioned, looking to Shiro with concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should have done this much sooner, Hunk. I trust you’ll do a good job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Growing impatient with Keith’s hesitation, Lance stepped up and pushed the door open. “Hey, Shiro?” Shiro turned to look at them, his eyes meeting Keith’s for a split second before Keith shoved past Lance and sprinted back up the stairs. “Wh- hey! Keith!” Lance yelled, turning to run after him before Shiro gently grabbed his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Lance. I understand that he needs space right now…” Shiro spoke calmly, still no sign of life in his voice. “Dinner’s ready, you should come eat.” Lance did as he was told, looking back and forth between his plate and the door with every bite. Keith never came down for dinner.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Search</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You’re sure nothing’s come back to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you want to find your brother, Veronica but I’ve told you and the police everything I saw.” the woman frowned softly as she nudged a container of cookies across the table to the young woman interrogating her yet again. “I’m sure the cops will find something. Here, I made these for your family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica sighed and took the box. “Thank you, Miss Specter. Sorry to bother you again…” The old woman gave her a sympathetic look as Veronica stood to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been nearly a month and her little brother was still nowhere to be seen. She found herself lingering on the sidewalk as she turned to return to her parent’s house. The exact same spot where Lance seemingly vanished. The neighbor had just barely seen him being taken away and called the police that night, but even with a rapid response, officers found no trace of him or his attackers aside from the broken mini flashlight lying in the street. A tearful phone call later and Veronica was back home with her college classes abruptly refunded, her scholarship abandoned. With their family as tight knit and close as they were, she couldn’t stay separated from them. She needed to see them and they needed her for support.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m back,” Veronica called out with a defeated huff as she pushed her shoes off with her toe in the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No luck, I’m guessing…” Marco sat up from his spot on the couch, giving her a soft frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...the cops have basically given up at this point too. It makes me sick.” Veronica huffed and set the box of cookies on the kitchen counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marco bit his lip as a thought came to mind. “Maybe they have the right idea…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica snapped her gaze to her younger brother, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Veronica, I wanna find him too but even if he’s still alive, how would we possibly find a lead after this long? They barely found anything the night he disappeared!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re giving up on our little brother?! I can’t believe you Marco!” Veronica snapped, her fists clenching tight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just trying to be practical. It’s not healthy to keep your mind on this every single day. At this point it might be better to just move on… I don’t like to think that Lance is gone but what choice do we have now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica wanted to do a lot of things at that moment. Her eyes wanted to cry, her throat wanted to yell and a part of her really wanted to take a swing at her brother; but none of that would help. Instead, she turned her gaze away from Marco and stormed up to her room. She pushed the door open and promptly sat down on her bed, fishing her laptop out from it’s place tangled in the clutter blankets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Veronica turned to see Rachel looking at her from her own bed across the room, her headphones pushed away from her ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica sighed, “It’s nothing...any luck on your end today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, yeah. It’s small but there was a guy in my geology class that saw one of the flyers still up on campus. He said he didn’t have any info on Lance but apparently there was a similar case that happened to someone in his area.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica’s eyes brightened, just a little. “Maybe there’s a connection. Can you give me his number?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance frowned as he sat on the edge of his bed, the lump of blankets across the room hardly moving. He finally stood up after a few minutes and sauntered to the door, lingering as much as possible. "Hey uh...I'm going down for breakfast. Are you gonna come with..?" The blankets shifted ever so slightly but there was no other response. Lance reluctantly left the room without Keith beside him. He only made it a few steps before he had to stumble back to keep himself from crashing into Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vampire almost didn't notice as he walked by, stopping to greet Lance quietly, "Good evening, Lance."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance frowned, he couldn't stop himself from looking up at Shiro's face, the fresh scar impossible to ignore. “Hey…” Lance responded, hesitant to say much more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro’s faint smile dropped when something dawned on him. “Is Keith up yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No...it doesn’t seem like he wants to be…” Both seemed uneasy at that thought, at this point it had been nearly fifteen hours since Keith ate anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make sure he gets some food. Try not to worry, Lance…” Shiro set a hand on Lance’s shoulder and gently guided him towards the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you feeling any better?” Lance asked awkwardly, shuffling quietly down the stairs at Shiro’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh? Oh, yes. The wound is still a little irritated but I’ll be alright.” Shiro hummed. Lance frowned slightly; that wasn’t what he was asking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As usual Hunk was setting out the food when Lance and Shiro walked in. “Good evening, you two,” he greeted with a smile. “Is Keith not coming down?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t look like it…” Shiro responded as he bent down to scoop up one of the underlings that was moving to put the cleaning supplies away. “Can you take a plate up to the pet room, little one?” Shiro handed the brushes and rags off to another underling before he grabbed Keith’s plate from the table, piling up a portion from each dish while the underling stayed tucked into his elbow, gently gripping his shirt sleeve. The underling took the plate from Shiro and a glass of water from Hunk before leaving the room with a confident and careful stride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So Lance,” Shiro sat down beside him in the breakfast nook, “I hate to pry but did Keith talk to you about what happened last night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance bit the inside of his cheek, unsure what, if anything, would be safe to say. “Not really...he told me what happened but after he ran back to our room he wouldn’t say anything.” Lance didn’t make direct eye contact as he spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of silence before Shiro responded again. “Do you fear me, Lance?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s body abruptly tensed before he took in what Shiro was saying. He sounded...upset by that idea, almost sad. “I uh- fear? What do you mean, fear? Tough guys like me don’t just ‘fear’ stuff.” Lance flashed him a grin and tried to deepen his voice to sound more ‘manly’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Shiro didn’t seem particularly receptive to Lance’s cocky deflection tactics. “I see…” he muttered, his gaze falling distant again. Lance couldn’t help the tightness in his chest, it happened every time he saw Shiro with that look. The look of defeat shouldn’t have fit so easily on the vampire’s features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dismal mood abruptly broke when the kitchen door opened again. The underling Shiro had sent up stormed back in, growling and hissing at nothing in particular, their pristine cloak was soaking wet and their white shell was stained with clumps of hashbrowns and bacon grease, a lump of egg hanging out of their vacant eye socket. “Oh no…” Shiro sighed and stood up, bringing the distressed underling to the sink. “I take it Keith didn’t want his breakfast?” The underling continued to chirp in distress even as Shiro removed their cloak and dunked them under the running faucet of the kitchen sink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith won’t eat? At all?” Lance frowned and watched from the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like he was violently opposed to it…” Shiro’s jaw tightened with worry as he bundled the underling in a towel and sat back down at the table. “You can stay here for now,” Shiro set them in his lap. “You’ve already done enough to deserve a break today. I’ll send the others to clean up the mess.” The underling churred softly and settled inside the towel, even as the room remained tense with an unspoken worry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica sighed as she parked her car by the curb, fishing her phone out of her jacket pocket. She’d requested a meetup to the man Rachel gave her the number of and despite some clear hesitance, he had accepted and gave her his address. She sent out a brief ‘I’m here’ in their text chat and stepped out of her car. A creaky screen door swung open and Veronica turned to face the tall man standing on the porch, waiting for her. He was tall, fit, and held a stern look but he didn’t look particularly intimidating. Veronica approached him swiftly, ascending the small set of stone steps up to the porch. “You must be Kinkade. Thank you for meeting with me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Kinkade spoke softly, “I’m sorry I didn’t respond to the poster sooner...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate anything you can do to help. I just want to find my brother.” Kinkade allowed Veronica inside and led her up to his room. Despite being the bedroom of a twenty-year-old boy, the room was remarkably clean. Everything was organized and in place, and it didn’t reek of cleaning products so he likely didn’t just do this because he was having a guest. “So, you said something similar happened around here too?” Veronica questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kinkade hesitated to answer as he shut the door and opened his closet. “Mh...” Kinkade gingerly pulled a bent shoebox from the bottom of the closet, setting it on the desk as Veronica sat at his desk chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you know them?” Veronica pulled the box lid off, photos of a smaller, Caucasian boy with brown hair littered the inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we were...close…” Veronica didn’t try to press further on what that meant and pulled out a printed copy of the public case file. “I also tried to find him independently of the police but I never got anywhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long ago was this?” Veronica asked as she read the page over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two and a half years…” Kinkade responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James Griffin, age 17, was attacked by an unidentified person at an Atlas gas station on 10th and Monty at 12:06 am. Police found no evidence of a vehicle or possible suspects. No remains of the victim have ever been identified. Veronica’s stomach turned at the last sentence. “What was he doing there so late at night? Do you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The security footage showed him putting air in his tires. It was right after he had dropped me off at home. He must have noticed the low tire pressure light” Kinkade responded, stepping back to sit on his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have the footage from that night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kinkade didn’t respond for a moment. “The flash drive…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica fished a small flash drive out of the box, looking to Kinkade for permission to use it; he hummed and nodded, keeping his gaze turned away from the desk. Veronica plugged the flash drive into his computer and opened the only file on it. The video was low quality and difficult to see, but she could make out James at the air pump station, just barely visible from the lights above the gas pumps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a split second something grabbed his arm and covered his mouth, the video ending right as James was taken out of frame, kicking, thrashing, and very likely screaming. Veronica tried to ignore the chill up her spine and played it again to take it in. Thinking that something even remotely similar happened to her brother made her tremble. “Wait…” Veronica muttered, pausing and slowing the video down to look at some of the frames. There was a brief second where the assailant looked in the direction of the camera. Two glowing orbs staring directly at her. “What..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Kinkade risked a glance back over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This person who grabbed James. Their eyes are glowing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? It’s reflecting light from the overhang.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kinkade...human eyes don’t do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked up from his desk when a soft knock came to the door. "Master? It's finished." Shiro promptly got up and opened the door. Hunk stood before him with one of their highest quality silver platters, the lid keeping its contents safe from the outside air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you for putting so much time into this. You know I would have helped if I could," Shiro praised as he very gently took the platter from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm all for giving people another chance but I just don't understand your reasoning sometimes. Still, as a friend I'm here to help," Hunk let out a huff but smiled fondly at Shiro. "Good luck, the little guys have been doing nothing but hissing and grumbling about how difficult Keith has been today."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll be fine. I'm sure things will turn out," Shiro gave him an optimistic smile and brushed past him towards the pet room. He gave the door a brief knock before opening it but, as expected, Keith did not respond. Lance wasn’t in the room, likely in the library again, and there was an underling on the floor, still cleaning up the remainder of the mess from breakfast. It was tense and hissing in Keith's direction. Judging by the amount of books scattered on the floor it had also had things thrown at them. Shiro gave them a thankful but sympathetic look as he set the tray on Keith's nightstand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, Shiro reached out and grabbed Keith's hand, which had lunged out of the blankets to knock the tray over. "None of that now. Hunk put much more work into this than he needed to," Shiro tsked. The hand squirmed and pulled until it slipped out of Shiro's grip and back under the blankets. "Will you look at me, Keith?" The blankets shifted and a piercing glare peered out from underneath them. Keith was curled up tight, clutching his blade to his chest with a shaking hand. "I'm not going to leave until you eat something Keith. I doubt you feel well because of this." Shiro's voice was gentle but firm as he sat down beside Keith. He felt Keith attempt to squirm away but with Shiro's weight pinning a corner of the blankets, Keith couldn't move very far without losing the perceived protection of his blanket cocoon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith, please; I can't allow you to starve yourself," Shiro very gingerly took one of the blankets edges and peeled it back. Keith flinched and tried to yank it back over himself, but even with two fists scrambling to pull it back, Shiro divested him of the bedding with only a minor struggle. With no more shell between him and the vampire, Keith scrambled back to the far corner of the bed, not attacking but on very high alert; a hateful glare sloppily masking his fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro moved unnaturally slowly, letting Keith process every motion as he lifted the lid off the platter. "I was going to wait until dinner to give you this but a part of me worried you wouldn't last until then. Keith stared down at the platter, a small cake on expensive looking china and a teapot resting on top with two small cups beside it. "It's a bit of a tradition of mine to have these made for new pets. It's an incredible recipe, really," Shiro continued to talk to fill the silence as Keith glared. He made another move to kick the platter but Shiro's arm blocked the hit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not falling for it! I know you poisoned it!" Keith snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Poison?" Shiro let the word sit on his tongue, almost horrid enough to make him physically recoil. After a moment, he sighed and reached for his pocket, "And I thought Hunk's insistence on this was misplaced…" he muttered as he pulled out a small container. "You think it has your allergens in it, don't you. You think I want revenge for the book…" Shiro glanced away in shame, cursing any of his actions that likely lead to this. He set the container on the mattress. Far from himself without encroaching any further into Keith's bubble. "It's the same paste I used last time to open your airways. You can drink it if you feel I had this made out of malice."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why wouldn't you? How could you possibly think I'd believe that you weren't here to punish me!" Keith spat out, bitter and accusatory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Because I know that won't help you. It never did." Shiro stated calmly, appearing unfazed by Keith’s outburst.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith was stunned into silence before he found his voice again, more quiet and unsure. "How would you know?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro frowned and reached out to Keith, running a feather-light touch down the scar tissue on Keith's neck. "You've been hurt by vampires before. You've experienced things I can't bring myself to think about. It's written all over you." Shiro's jaw tightened at the large bite mark spanning the diameter of Keith's shoulder, every single tooth left a puncture wound even when the fangs were the only ones that could effectively draw blood. Keith was bit with the express purpose of making it hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It makes me sick knowing even just the remnants of how you were treated before." Keith felt an unease in his stomach as Shiro continued to lightly trace his scars. He had the thought to shove him away but the feeling of such a gentle touch in a place that had only known gnashing teeth and infected wounds made him hesitate. "Something my family has always held with pride," Shiro continued, moving his hand up to cup Keith's cheek, "is that any pet under our roof is treated to our luxuries. You didn't choose this life, so you don't deserve anything less than our best care; </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> best care."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith swallowed a small lump in his throat, completely thrown off by Shiro's words. His stomach spoke for him, growling with anger as Keith's eyes passed over the food again. Shiro let Keith go and gingerly held the fork out to him. After a moment, Keith took the offered silverware and scooted forward to sit on the edge of the bed, beside Shiro. Even with just the edge of a fork, Keith cut through the perfectly moist cake with practically no effort at all. He took just a small piece off the edge and sniffed it for good measure. At least his allergies were particularly pungent most of the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After another beat of hesitation, Keith jammed the bite in his mouth as Shiro reached around him to pour the tea. "I'm not sure how you feel about lavender but it does wonders for stress. I'm sure I don't need to say why I requested this one." Shiro poured two cups, picking up one for himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Heh, yeah…" Keith cut another bite of the cake, even if it wasn't safe to eat, it was too good to even attempt to put down. Although he tried to keep his enjoyment internal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So?" Shiro asked, hope in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I-" Keith stopped when he felt a much stronger sweetness hit his tongue. When he looked back to the cake he saw the inside was actually filled with a red jam. "Are there strawberries in here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled a bit, "Yes, it's why they're so difficult to make. Sometimes I feel like I work Hunk too hard but he doesn't even let me near the countertop, so it's not like I can do it myself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why not?" Keith asked, shoving another bite in his mouth without really thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Have you ever heard the phrase, so bad at cooking you could burn water? Well, I actually did...more than once."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up at him in surprise, "So you're a magic-wielding vampire, who's read every book known to man, and you have absolutely no idea how to cook?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"When you put it that way it sounds ridiculous," Shiro pouted but laughed softly. Keith bit the inside of his mouth to keep from smiling. "But really, do you like it?" Shiro pressed, "You seem to."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith felt his face flush as he held the plate closer to his chest. "It's good, I like it…" he admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hunk told me he modified the recipe to make it more filling. It should make up for you not eating yesterday," Shiro took another sip of the hot tea, settling comfortably next to Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed silent for some time but it was all that was necessary for the two of them. The prolonged presences and shifts in their body language was perfectly suitable for communication on its own. Keith didn't leave a crumb on his plate though he didn't seem to care much for the tea. Even without it, Keith was gradually slouching, his muscles relaxing of their own accord. Shiro was slowly leaning more of his weight on the bed as he put his mind at ease, but there was still one thing on his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keith, would it be alright to drink from you?" Shiro felt Keith flinch against the mattress. He watched Keith’s expression, his eyes seeming to flick to a few different things before he huffed softly, his shoulders sinking in defeat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not like I can say no…” Keith murmured, instinctively trying to shield his body with his arms and hide his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can, and I understand your fear. I just want to show you something,” Shiro explained softly, resisting his urge to move closer to him. Keith huffed, his warmer mood having vanished just as soon as it had settled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, just get it over with…” Keith bared his neck and shut his eyes tight, only to be thrown off guard when Shiro gently took hold of his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hesitate to bite into the scar tissue on your neck. I’m going to take it from your wrist, Shiro explained, “Keep your arm lax, Keith…” Keith did as he was asked and turned his face away, the rest of his body tense and bracing for a spike of pain. A part of him wanted to pull away before his hand was torn off entirely. His mind raced with absolute worst case scenarios, his breath growing faster and louder as he wondered how long he was going to be tortured to wait for the bite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After another moment, Keith spared a glance through his long, tangled bangs. Shiro was slowly pulling his fangs out of Keith’s skin, his tongue lightly dabbing the beads of blood that were rising from the wound that Keith almost struggled to find at first. Shiro kept Keith’s wrist in his loose grip, taking a moment to hum and savor the taste of Keith’s blood. “You’re done?” Keith asked in bewilderment, “I...didn’t even feel it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a method of drinking I’ve been learning to perfect. If you angle the fangs correctly and the body part is limp, you won’t feel any pain,” Shiro explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith continued to stare at his wrist as Shiro eventually let him go, smacking his lips a few times as his mind lingered on the taste in his mouth. “That’s quite a punch,” he commented. Keith let out a small hum of confusion as he looked back up to the vampire. “Your blood,” he clarified. “There’s a kick to it. Not exactly spicy but...wild maybe? It’s difficult to describe, but it’s a nice surprise.” Shiro mused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith puffed out the faintest of laughs, “That’s the creepiest compliment I’ve ever gotten.” Shiro smiled back, bright and innocent despite the human blood staining his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A scratching sound caught their attention as an underling squirmed under the door to the room with disturbingly unnatural elasticity and flexibility. It gave a single, shrill chirp and squirmed away again under the thin gap. Shiro seemed to understand immediately and stood up from the bed. “I should take care of that. Go downstairs for a snack when you’re feeling better, Keith.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, uh…” Keith started as Shiro moved to leave the room. He stopped and let Keith continue. “Sorry...for the scar, a-and...for the book. I didn’t mean to tear it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gave him a soft smile, “It’s alright Keith. At the end of the day it’s only a book…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith felt a churning feeling in his chest as he stayed sitting on his bed next to the empty plate and lukewarm tea. Shiro exited the room quietly and the bite scabbed over.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Swap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance let out a soft, pleased groan, his body leaning into every gentle touch, almost on its own. Warm, coarse hands coiled around him while broader, colder ones trailed down his body. He felt hot breaths in his ear and teeth playfully nipping at his skin. Lance moaned, his body flooding with heat, tension building with every new sensation-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance opened his eyes, staring up blankly at the ceiling of his room. His night clothes were damp with sweat, among... other things. He sat up with a groan and spotted </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thrall of Passion</span>
  </em>
  <span> carelessly sitting on his bed from where he'd been reading it last night and subsequently dropped it when he fell asleep. "Hey, morning," Keith called to him as he was pulling on his shirt. Lance abruptly shoved the paperback across the bed and into the gap between his bed and the wall before he stood up and crossed the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I need a shower," he blurted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The week following Shiro's incident was frustratingly unproductive. Keith had somewhat dropped making an escape plan in order to decipher the letter he’d copied. One brief skimming of the language books later and Keith was faced with the reality of just how complicated the Japanese language was. “What kind of language needs three alphabets??” he hissed under his breath. Lance looked up from the shelf he was perusing with a questioning hum. “Okay, Lance. Tell me if this makes sense. You have an alphabet of symbols that makes up your language, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Lance raised an eyebrow and turned around to give him his full attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you have a second set of different characters you use for foreign words,” Keith continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That actually sounds really convenient.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It does, but then you decide to just steal a completely different alphabet and use that too. But you can’t use it always because instead of making your own language cover everything you would </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to say you decide to frankenstein it together with ten billion other symbols that are actually just Chinese.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re being pretty passionate about this dude,” Lance commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s like they made it impossible to translate on purpose!” Keith exclaimed, creating a fracture in his pencil from his stressed grip. He groaned and spread the books out a bit more, shoving the ones that wouldn’t prove useful to the side, where the library underling was happy to grab the stack and scamper off to put them away properly. "What I do have right now is gibberish anyway since this language has a completely different sentence structure. I've barely gotten anywhere," Keith huffed and erased his latest mistake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, don't stress yourself too much. We have plenty of time…" Lance sighed, his tone ended up more melancholic than he initially wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith only got through another few characters before they had to run back to their room and stash everything back under Keith's bed before going down for dinner. Shiro was already there, chatting Hunk up with old stories. He stopped and smiled when the two of them entered and slipped into the nook. "There you boys are. Lance, may I?" It was an unspoken question, but after nearly a month it was perfectly understood. Lance craned his neck to the side, letting Shiro drain him once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance hummed, confused when Shiro pulled away after only a few seconds. "That's it? You didn't take all that much."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm halfing my fill from you this time. Keith?" Keith flinched a bit on instinct but extended his wrist to Shiro across the table. Lance stared in shock as Shiro took an equally small drink from Keith as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Since when is he drinking from </span>
  <em>
    <span>you??</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mh...I guess it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be," Keith muttered as he took his wrist back and hid it in his shirt sleeve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I needed to refill but my friend Allura is hosting a party tomorrow and I want to make sure you're both recovered beforehand," Shiro explained as Hunk set out the trays and plates and joined them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Another party?" Lance's body tightened a bit at the thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh. Oh Lance, don't worry. It won't be like last time. I can promise you that," Shiro insisted with a concerned frown. "It's a swap party actually. Everyone brings their best pets to let interested parties trade them around during the night," Shiro abruptly noticed how both of his humans began to shrink and squirm in their seats. "Please try not to be scared. It's more of a formality that I show up than anything. I'm not one to trade at these kinds of things; especially if I can't guarantee your safety." The boys relaxed a bit at that. "I'll make the bare minimum conversation to say I was actually participating, you'll both get plenty of snacks and treats, and then we can go home. I promise, I won't spring anything on you this time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance hummed, "Well, Allura was pretty nice. I guess if that's all there is…" Shiro was quick to take Lance's face in his hands, staring at him directly to make sure his point was made. "I swear that will be it. I will not trade either of you off. I won't let my social needs strain our trust anymore than it has," Shiro stated with utmost certainty. He only let go of Lance when he smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks, Shiro…" They all turned back to their breakfast as Shiro let Lance’s face go, his cheeks staying warm throughout the meal despite the cool castle air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next day, another frustrating translation session was interrupted when an underling approached their worktable, carrying a bowl of fancy looking soaps with a note on top. Lance took the bowl and read the note aloud. "We leave for the party in two hours. Clean up with these and meet me in my quarters. Shiro."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith huffed and shut his books. "Come on, let's get this over with."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"At least Shiro sounds pretty indifferent about going in the first place," Lance commented as they left the library.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Still...you know I don't trust it's motives, ever," Keith set the papers under his bed again and followed Lance into the bathroom, towels and robes in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sharing a bath had become normal more quickly than either of them expected. It did help that Keith seemed completely indifferent to being nude, assuming that his scars weren't put on display. Today though, Lance felt an unease in his gut. He found his eyes tracing Keith's frame as he stripped, mature and toned; quite muscular for a man so thin. Lance caught the glint of Keith's eye as he turned around and he abruptly turned away. He needed a moment to calm himself down before he could take off his pants and join Keith in the bath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bowl of soaps was added to their growing collection of bottles and bars on the side of the tub. Shiro had appeared to be adjusting and adding different scented shampoos and body soaps to their supply when neither of them were there. At this point it was narrowed down to the ones they had recently been using. "Wonder why these are so important," Keith thought aloud as he plucked one of the bars out of the bowl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maybe it's how vampires marinate their meat," Lance snickered, though the laugh fizzled out almost immediately. He had a habit of joking in poor situations, which usually lightened things, but anything related to their enslavement by vampires only served to fill the room with a cold, palpable dread. Keith only hummed in response and passed the second soap bar to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They bathed in a grim but somewhat comfortable silence, aside from Lance's complaint that the soaps weren't scented at all. The boys dried their hair and tied up their bathrobes, assuming Shiro had outfits in mind, as they made their way to his room. Lance opened the door after a tentative knock, Keith staying firmly several feet behind Lance, remaining close to the door even as it gently shut behind him despite the lack of force to push it closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled at them both, moving back from his wardrobe. "Ah, good you both read my note. Go on, you can sit down." With no other options, Lance and Keith took their seats on Shiro's bed. Lance flushed as his mind wandered again, he forced himself to ignore it. "Just need to make sure everything fits correctly."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh-!" Lance interjected, "These won't be as...revealing as last time, will they?" In that moment all he wanted was to punch himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro seemed to take the question in stride though, "Oh, no. There's a common courtesy not to flaunt your pet's scent everywhere when there are so many in one place. You'll have long clothes this time." Shiro approached them and offered a set of neatly folded clothes with a few accessories laid out on top. "Go ahead and change. You can use the screen if you'd like." Keith took the clothes and got up without a word, slipping behind the changing screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sat beside Lance as he fidgeted and toyed with the belt resting on top of his small stack of clothes. "Is something on your mind, Lance?" Shiro's voice yanked Lance out of his own head and he looked back up at him. "You seem distracted tonight," Shiro gave him a small, worried frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh… I'm fine, Shiro, really. Just got a lot on my mind, I guess." Lance answered, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know, you can talk to me about it, if you want."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro, don't worry about it. It's just dumb human stuff." Shiro seemed a bit disheartened at that answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After another minute, Keith emerged from behind the screen, a long, red vest coat covered a simple pale gray turtleneck with loose slit sleeves and tight black dress pants. Lance promptly got up and traded places with him; Keith settling awkwardly beside Shiro. "Is the coat too tight? You look a bit constricted," Shiro asked as he looked Keith over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's fine, I'm more surprised you went with a turtleneck…" Keith commented, toying with the high collar with his finger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not conventional but I wouldn't want anyone to try biting your scar tissue," Shiro found his hands drifting from Keith’s shoulder into his hair as he adjusted the buttons on his coat. Keith froze as Shiro murmured to himself, close enough to feel his breath on his skin. Shiro then abruptly stood up, "I'll be right back." Keith only let his body relax again once Shiro had left the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance poked out from behind the screen a moment later, wearing a small, open blue vest paired with a long off-the-shoulder shirt, and dress pants. "Hey, can you help me with this belt? It's supposed to ride kinda high." Keith nodded and slipped off the bed. He helped feed the thick belt into the thin loops sewed into the shirt just below his chest. "Ah-! Dude, too tight." Lance wheezed a bit as Keith tightened the strap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry, I'll go a notch down."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Waaaait, did you do that on purpose?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean?" Keith repressed a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jerk." Lance quipped half-heartedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boys shared a small laugh as the belt was finally secured. Keith abruptly stopped, jolting when he felt fingers graze his cheek and pull back his hair. "Hold still, Keith," Shiro said softly. How did-?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro combed out Keith's hair with his fingers before pulling it all to the back and securing it with a hair tie. "Aaand…there," Shiro reached over to Lance, gently pushing a small clip into his hair to clear his bangs from his eyes. "I knew it was missing something. You both look perfect now." Shiro nearly sounded awestruck as he looked them both over, circling them to make sure everything was smoothed out and tucked well. He cleared his throat and straightened his features as he ushered them both to the door. "I'll come get you two once it's time to leave. I still need to get ready myself." The boys nodded and returned to their own room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed as he found himself looking over his hair in the mirror. You should wear it up more often, Lance wanted to say. And it was true. His raggedy mullet looked much cleaner in a ponytail. Shiro had also pulled his bangs back in the process, Lance never noticed how bright his eyes were. The lump in his throat kept all those words inside however. All he could do was sit and let his eyes wander to him whenever Keith wouldn't notice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keith, come on. It's time to go." Keith didn't want to move and yet, he did. A shocking moment of obedience for the teen who had terrorized this unfortunate little orphanage for more years than the care-workers really deserved. But it's not like anyone would take such a scruffy problem child. Which is why the man who took interest in adopting him was especially peculiar. Still, no one was going to miss an opportunity to make this kid someone else's problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man took to the remaining paperwork with disinterest and tugged the boy out the door. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, unaware of the fate they were responsible for. Keith abruptly went missing from school, the phone number the man had given was a dud. More inconsistencies came out of the paperwork upon a second look and the boy was officially declared missing. A case file was made, searches conducted, but all for the sake of formality. The boy was forgotten by week's end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith wasn't aware of any of this. All he knew was the dirt between his toes and the heavy chain weighing down his neck. Every day he was faced with bland food and a frustrated seller. All this work to get a human that wasn’t half-dead from living on the streets for a dead-eyed brat that no one would buy. He only began to see interest once he cut his losses and lowered his price for the human, twice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once again he was booted off without a care for his fate, the chain on his neck replaced with shackles on his wrists and a slimy salesman replaced with a hulking beast of a man. His master was quiet and stern, pushing him into the back of his carriage without a word. Keith wanted to be optimistic. He wanted to be hopeful and stupid and ignore what horrors he'd already seen. He wanted to look at the man's nice clothes or the wide open estate home and think that things wouldn't be so bad. But the world wouldn't rest until hope was bled out of his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith,” Keith looked up from his blank gaze out the carriage window when Shiro spoke to him. The vampire was giving him a slight disapproving look before he promptly reached over and grabbed the small hilt poking out of Keith’s coat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh- hey!” Keith exclaimed as Shiro held his knife away from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be fine, Keith. I don’t want you bringing a god killer to this party,” Shiro promptly set the blade inside a drawer under his own seat before Keith could argue. Keith huffed softly as he pressed his cheek to the carriage window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ride felt like an eternity of silence after that but finally his eyes caught their destination. A bright white, towering castle, even more extravagant than Shiro's manor, surrounded by a small lake. The thin road led them up to the front gates where the carriage was parked among many others. Shiro stepped out first, ushering Lance and Keith out with a silent turn of his wrist and a soft, reassuring smile. "Stay close, we'll be in and out soon enough." Shiro led them across a long stone bridge to the open front doors, the bustling sounds of socializing guests filled the air, Keith already knowing it would become unbearable if he was made to stay here very long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro kept that same thought more hidden as he smiled, greeting whoever he recognized as he made his way through the room. Keith felt his stomach drop a little when finally got a full look of the massive entry room. More vampires than he had ever seen in his life, one or two humans standing obediently at each of their sides. Lance noticed Keith's hand starting to shake but he hesitated to try and hold it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Shiro said, there were massive tables of food separately marked for the vampires and their pets. The pet tables were noticeably lower to the ground and surrounded with soft cushions where the pets could rest, eat, and be told to stay put. Shiro gave them both a gentle push towards the table as he approached Allura, who was watching her pet eat. "Princess, there you are," Shiro smiled and bowed as Allura turned her attention to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro! I almost thought you wouldn't come," she smiled brightly and returned the dramatic cordial bow. "Lance, wonderful to see you again. You look so handsome!" Allura gushed and played with ears a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This definitely felt more demeaning the second time around. Still, praise was praise and Lance still smiled. "Hey, Allura…" he grinned, letting himself relish in her soft hands as they toyed with his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura's eyes fell to Keith and he immediately tensed, falling slightly behind Shiro to avoid her. Her smile still widened and Keith’s personal space was promptly invaded by the eager vampire. “Shiro! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you found another new pet already!” Keith repressed a grimace as Allura squished his face and looked him over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith is still adjusting; this is his first time out with other vampires,” Shiro smiled and gave Keith a sympathetic look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, poor thing. I’m starting to think you enjoy finding problem pets.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s more to pets than aesthetics, Allura. You’re throwing away wonderful humans if you judge just on those metrics.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura hummed and nodded. “They certainly don’t look anything less than premium. You dolled them up so well.” Shiro smiled proudly before glancing down at the pet table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another young pet was watching them with vibrant eyes, framed by bright blonde hair. She sat on one of the many pillows lining the low table adorned with food. “And are you going to introduce me to your new face, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura grinned and gestured for her pet to stand up beside her. “Father got her for me. This is Romelle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl, Romelle, smiled and greeted them politely. “It’s nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Likewise, Romelle, call me Shiro. This is Lance and Keith.” The boys awkwardly waved and greeted her back. Keith, in particular, found her wide smile unsettling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura smiled proudly and grabbed a napkin to wipe the traces of food off her lips. "I was just having her eat to make sure she would be fit for more trading during the night. She's already attracted so much attention. Allura directed their attention to the bites littering Romelle’s bare collar bone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Romelle beamed at her mistress's praise. "I'd be happy to serve you as well, Master Shiro."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura was quick to interject, "Ah- Romelle, it's alright,” she turned back to Shiro, “I know you tend to hesitate with trades."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, Allura. I'm not really sure I intend to swap at all tonight. But I thought the two of them would appreciate some time out of the house," Shiro sighed and set a protective hand on Lance's shoulder. He knew people were eying them. The feelings he had about that were difficult to describe, but they weren’t pleasant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well I know there are quite a few people that have been hoping to talk to you, Shiro. You’ve been so quiet the last few months. I should leave you to it,” Allura commented, glancing out at the guests.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked up to the crowd, feeling torn as he turned back to the boys. "Would you both be alright if I left you alone for a little while?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By ourselves?” Keith questioned, appearing unsettled by the idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d rather not have people hounding you for your blood, tonight. Just stay here with Romelle and enjoy the food. I'll be back soon," Shiro pat Keith’s head reassuringly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry 'bout it Shiro. We’ll stay put," Lance said, muffled with bites of food as he’d already sat down to eat. Romelle covered her mouth as she stifled a giggle, sitting back down beside Lance and Keith. Shiro sighed and let his shoulders relax and he reluctantly blended back into the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance finally swallowed his bite and turned to Romelle, "So, how long have you been a pet?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, all my life really. But I was only sold a few months ago," she replied, happy to chat with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your whole life??"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"More high end pets are raised from infancy before they're sold," Allura explained. "Shiro has a bit of a personal issue with that method it seems. He only ever buys off of those second rate auctioneers…" She froze a bit when Lance gave her a slightly insulted frown. "Not that you two aren't wonderful," she quickly corrected. "But older humans are harder to train and adapt to the lifestyle."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I guess you're right. But…does that mean you didn’t have a family?” Lance frowned softly as he turned back to Romelle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t remember my birth parents very well, if that’s what you’re asking. But having my younger brother on the farm was nice. I hope he found as nice of a home as we did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really like it here, huh..." Lance commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I really do. I'm so lucky to have mistress Allura. And your master Shiro seems so wonderful! I'm happy for the three of you." Romelle beamed at him, genuinely happy and carefree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wow, you make it sound like you have everything."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, don't we? Such kind people caring for our every whim in luxury. I can't really imagine a better life…" Keith found himself shifting farther away with every word of their conversation, his eyes drifting to find something else to pay attention to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Farther down the pet table another boy was sat, tense and quiet even with no master beside him. Keith squinted as an uneasy sense of recognition stirred in his gut. The groomed brown hair, those tacky clothes… Then the boy looked up and looked him dead in the eye. The two exchanged looks of utter shock as the world around them crashed to a halt. Both of them struggled to find their voice but the same question managed to come from both of them at once. "What are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing here?"</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Master</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tag "minor alluratt" (allura x matt) has been added</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Keith squinted as the bright light of the upper floor flooded behind the rusty bars of the mass cage. He followed the example of the other pets and cowered from the front of the cage as their master descended the stairs, another human in tow. But rather than having the nervous boy be stripped, washed, and take a violent bite to the shoulder, the master simply stood beside him, looking over the other pets with disdain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want you to look at these pets closely,” the master spoke to the boy. “They’re dirty, helpless, wasting away with feeble attempts to dull their pains. But you...you’ve been brought in as a cut above. You are my masterpiece to show the world.” The massive man slowly dragged his claws through the boy’s hair. “But don’t think too highly of yourself. You could be dropped into this blood pit with the rest of them the moment I think your behavior is not worth tolerating.” The boy trembled in the master’s strong grip. “Stay here for a moment and reflect on what I’ve told you. Try not to let them rub their filth on your new clothes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith growled as the master turned to leave and he turned back to glare at him, the shadow of his imposing figure washing over Keith. Keith didn’t show his fear as he continued to glare defiantly until his body was suddenly flung into the wall by a passive wave of the master’s hand. A cry broke his lips as he cradled his bruising shoulder and slumped against the stone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, in particular, should be grateful for your situation. I only bothered a glance at your price tag for the nice blade you happened to come with.” The master turned to leave again, the cellar door slamming shut behind him and plunging the room into darkness. Keith could only barely see enough to make eye contact with the boy on the other side of the bars as he dragged himself up to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, hey...my name is James. Are you okay?” the boy asked, timidly quiet for fear of being overheard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Keith stated bluntly, “No I’m not. This whole thing might as well be what hell is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… the master hasn’t done anything to hurt me yet. Maybe he has a point. If you’re not going to follow his orders, of course he’s going to attack you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re agreeing with him?!” Keith exclaimed, the dozen or so other pets began to glare at James as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What choice do we have? Our lives are in his hands. We just have to make the best of things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy for you to say when you have a fucking bed!” Keith snapped, “When your bath is more than a hose of cold water! When you don’t have to starve while getting your flesh torn off!” The other pets began to hiss and sneer at the boy, who glared back at Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you expect me to do? I’m trying to survive here too! You think this is easy for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could end this!! You spend all your time outside this cage. You could help us, get us out; you could kill him! But no, you’d rather worry about yourself while getting pampered and tell us to suck it up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just being practical!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YOU’RE BEING A FUCKING COWARD!!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was difficult for either of them to forget the only words they’d ever exchanged, especially now as they stared each other down. James looked him over in shock, “I thought you escaped!” he exclaimed in a hushed whisper. He bit back a yelp when Keith grabbed him by the collar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is he? I- if you’re here then he’s-” Keith’s hands started to tremble as James forced him off, looking over the crowd as he straightened his clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He left me here to socialize. He’s somewhere towards the back of the room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t tell him that I’m here. For once in your fucking life make me think I can trust you with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so all of a sudden I’m untrustworthy because I don’t want to die.” James crossed his arms and glared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not exactly someone I’d count on, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well maybe if you weren’t such a- hey! Get back here!” Lance looked up from his plate when he heard James call out and Keith darted right past him, dashing between pillars as he tried to find a place to hide in the exposing room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith managed to scramble up the main staircase, briefly peeking out to make sure He was down there and not elsewhere. Sure enough, the hulking figure wasn’t hard to spot; it filled Keith with more fear than he could ever hope to articulate. His legs gave out as he stepped back from the railing and he tumbled back onto his feet before breaking into a sprint. He only took a moment to slow down when he was far from the chattering sounds of the party, alone in the dark hallways of the castle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shirogane.” Shiro glanced up when a gruff voice called out to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sendak…" Shiro forced a smile and turned to face the large vampire as he approached. "It's been a while." Shiro couldn't help it when his gaze drifted to Sendak's eye, an unpleasant scar dragged across it. "So, how are things?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Likely better than you, given the state of your face," Sendak responded casually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro's expression soured as his hand came up to scratch at his nose, a not-at-all subtle gesture to try and hide his fresh scar. "You're one to talk. If I remember correctly, you had depth perception last time we spoke."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A low growl rose out of Sendak's throat. "I can see perfectly fine."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is there a reason you came up to speak to me instead of both of us continuing to dance around the fact that we're in the same building?" Shiro quirked an eyebrow, crossing his arms sternly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak gave him a smug look in return. "I just thought you'd enjoy hearing how my research has been developing. Your family has never wasted an opportunity to steal other's hard work. So I'll make it easy this time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you're trying to get a rise out of me by projecting yourself onto me, I'm not falling for it." Shiro spoke calmly despite the grip on his own arm tightening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak snarled, "A disrespectful brat like you does not deserve- uh?" Sendak turned his bitter look down as someone bumped into him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, sorry!" Lance squeaked as he looked up at the absolutely massive vampire glaring him down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance?" Shiro dropped his hateful glare and looked to Lance with concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak huffed, "Of course an unruly pet like that would be yours…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro ignored him and tugged Lance a bit closer. "What's going on?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's Keith, he ran off and I don't think he's...okay," Lance said, awkwardly trying to convey his point. He felt Shiro's grip tighten on his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Show me where he went." Lance nodded and led Shiro towards the staircase.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's with that guy?" Lance whispered, trying to subtly point back towards Sendak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's the living equivalent to rotting meat. Just ignore him, Lance."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak only stood there and watched them leave, muttering to himself. "So you didn't escape after all…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith didn't even look up as the cellar door opened, hoping that he could be so small and quiet that he wouldn't be acknowledged. The heavy metal door swung open as the pets cowered to the far walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith's breathing grew heavier as Sendak's heavy footsteps grew closer. A yelp broke his lips as Sendak's massive hand grabbed the back of his dirty, tattered tunic. He didn't thrash, he knew by now that made it all worse. The pets looked on with grim looks but made no move to stop the vampire as Keith was dragged away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith was a bit confused when he was brought into the master bedroom and set down in an ornate chair. But that uncertainty only served to stir more fear in his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak huffed, annoyed as he pulled a bottle filled with red pills out of one of his drawers. "Of course I would need to feed when my best pet needs to be in prime condition. Let's at least make your dirt blood palatable tonight." Sendak shook a pill out of the bottle and forced Keith's head back against the chair. Even while keeping his lips tightly shut, Sendak managed to cram the pill into his mouth, yanking his head back further to force him to swallow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His pained gasp made Keith choke on the pill a bit before it finally went down with a stinging swallow and Sendak released his hair. He looked to the hand that had been in his hair and shuddered in disgust as he wiped it on his pant leg. "Always so filthy, you are. Let's keep me from needing to burn my furniture after this." Keith gasped as Sendak's wrist flicked and he was flung from the chair, Sendak's invisible force pinning his body to the wall just beside the mantle of his fireplace. Sendak approached him, nosing at Keith's neck with a shudder as his fangs grazed his skin. "Much better…" he mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith forced his muscles limp as Sendak finally punctured his skin, still raw from the last time he was chosen to be sucked from. Sendak jolted a bit as the blood hit his tongue. That spark, that punch of flavor; he knew there was something good in this blood before but enhancing it made it completely irresistible. He growled with need as more of his teeth dug into Keith's skin. Keith couldn't hold back his shriek of agony as Sendak only bit down harder. He slotted a knee between Keith's legs to help hold him up as he couldn't focus on the gravity spell any longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith's eyes filled with tears as he noticed his arms were free, tense and shaking as they were. He caught the glint of his knife, the only possession he ever felt was his. It was propped up on a small stand like a tropey, completely unsecured. Keith slowly reached his shaking hand towards the blade, careful not to move his neck as Sendak took even more from him. His numb, shaking fingertips grazed the handle and with an abrupt lurch, he grabbed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak growled as Keith tried to pull away, his teeth harshly being pulled out of his flesh. Keith didn't waste a second, taking a violent swing at Sendak with his blade. He was immediately dropped to the floor as Sendak yelled in pain, a hand coming up to cover his eye as he snarled at the human. Keith scrambled off the floor and ran for the door, grabbing the pill bottle on his way out. Sendak could probably get more, but even if it was just a day, he wanted to keep the others from suffering further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith threw the door open, his feet sliding on the hallway rug as Sendak chased after him. He reached the staircase down to the second floor, sliding down the banister and landing on the floor in a painful tuck and roll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could get his bearings, Sendak leaped over the side of the staircase, shaking the floor as he landed in front of Keith and blocked his path. "You really think that you can just grab your little splinter of a knife and escape? I'll have to show how to stab out an eye properly," Sendak, stalked towards him, savoring the fear and dread as Keith scrambled back, pressing his body to the large, cold window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith briefly glanced out the window to the ground below. The trench outside the building was swollen with water as the rain outside continued to fall fast and heavy. Keith took a breath, threw his sharp elbow back with all his strength, and shut his eyes as he fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith? Keeeeith!” Lance called out as they walked down the darkened halls of the castle. Shiro shushed him gently, his sensitive ears picking up a hitched breath further down the hall. He gently pushed open an ajar door into a pitch black guest room, a quivering figure curled up in the corner. Keith was leaning against the wardrobe at the back of the room, almost entirely obscured behind the tall bed. His knees were tucked close to his chest, his head was on his knees and his hands were gripping his hair; as if his own hands could hide him away from the outside world. “Keith! There you are!” Lance ran into the room and kneeled beside Keith, who flinched at his presence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro frowned and tugged Lance away a bit to give him space. “Keith, what’s wrong?” Shiro very tentatively reached for Keith’s hand as he dug his fingers into his scalp. Keith violently swatted his hand away, shrinking farther away from them as he hyperventilated pitifully. Shiro felt his chest tighten as he caught a glimpse of the tears hanging on his eyelashes before he faced away from them again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith, it’s okay...it’s just us,” Lance frowned as he watched Keith quiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro crouched down, gently setting his hand on Keith’s foot to give him some form of contact without encroaching too far on his personal space. “I need you to breathe, Keith. In and out, slowly,” he spoke gently, squeezing Keith’s shoe to telegraph his breathing so Keith could follow along. Keith’s tight grip on his hair remained but his breathing did slow down, his constricted chest starting to relax. "Do you need to leave?" Shiro asked just above a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Y-Yes! Please, I...I can't stay here," Keith choked out, curling in on himself tighter. Shiro nodded with a sympathetic look, pulling Keith up into his arms without another word. He pried Keith's hands off his own head and managed to direct his stressed grip to his clothes and shoulder. Shiro winced a bit as Keith's nails dug into him but he let him be and stood back up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nervously trailed behind him as they returned downstairs. Shiro remained stoic, ignoring any odd glances at the curled up human in his arms. "Shiro, that guy is staring at us again…" Lance muttered, sparing nervous glances back to the large vampire in the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ignore it, Lance. All these people around are only making Keith more anxious. We need to keep moving." Shiro kept his stride quick and his eyes exclusively focused on the door. He could apologize to Allura for bailing later; even if he had planned to do so after another hour anyways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ride back home was unbearably quiet. The only noise in the carriage was Keith's shifting body and broken breathing as he forced himself to stop tearing up. By the time they returned to Shiro's estate he could stand and walk on his own, even as his legs shook. Lance stayed beside him just in case he fell climbing the stairs to their room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith let out a heavy, shaking breath as he sat down on his bed, slumping slightly as his energy rapidly depleted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You feeling any better?" Lance asked as he plopped down on his own bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith hummed and nodded ever so slightly. "Thanks…" his voice was quiet and hoarse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What happened back there? You bailed from the conversation with Romelle and then ran off." Keith gripped his pant leg and didn't respond. Maybe it was to relieve his own stress, maybe he thought it would help Keith; regardless, Lance kept talking. "You know, Romelle seems like she really enjoys this kinda life, you know, being a pet and all. She was talking about Allura like she was a goddess- which I mean, I can't blame her. But she's just so...positive, about all of this. She-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She's brainwashed," Keith stated flatly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I wouldn't say that…" Lance verbally stumbled to recover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why not? She's been treated like this since she was a baby. She doesn't fucking know better." Keith balled his fist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm just trying to look on the bright side. I wonder if maybe...we shouldn't be fighting so hard to leave."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith's feet shook the floor as he stood, his eyes glaring daggers at Lance as his hands trembled. "So you're just rolling over for this?! Yeah, sure, just let a whole swarm of them suck you dry like last time! Remember how fucking great that was?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words felt like an ice cold dagger through his chest but Lance stood as well, glaring at Keith. "Maybe I would do that again if I didn't have to deal with your fucking brooding! Shiro’s stretched his neck out to help us! Meanwhile, you just act like everyone's out to get you to excuse the fact that you're a huge asshole!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry that you're so delusional that you just forget that this vampire fucking attacked me!!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And which one of you has a scar now?! That was your fault!!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance! Keith! Enough…" Shiro was in the room before either of them could blink. He stood between them, an impassable barrier separating the two. Lance could hear Keith's breathing pick up again, shaky and pathetic. A far cry from the aggression he'd just been hurling Lance's way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro put a hand on Lance's shoulder and steered him towards the door. "Come on," he spoke softly. "We should give him some space for the day…" He gently guided Lance out of the room and Keith promptly crawled into bed; shutting out the world with blankets as he dug his nails into his pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro nudged Lance into his own room and shut the door, letting out a long, stressed sigh. “You can stay in here tonight. I don’t want the two of you at each other’s throats right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance found his eyes drifting to the singular large bed in the room before flicking back to Shiro, “Y-you’re sure? I mean…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s no trouble, Lance. I’ll give you some sleep wear and you can make yourself comfortable.” Shiro promptly handed Lance a pair of pajamas before slipping into his private bathroom to change as well. Lance took Shiro’s hint and stripped to his underwear before pulling the sleepwear on, unable to really let himself short circuit over how much larger everything was on him. He set his party clothes down on Shiro’s dresser and awkwardly curled up in Shiro's massive bed. He didn’t pay any mind to where he was, the scent on Shiro's pillow or even seeing the vampire in such comfortable, casual clothing as he came back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You hear it too, don't you…" Shiro frowned as he laid beside him. Lance didn't respond but his grim face answered clearly. He didn't think he'd ever know what Keith crying sounded like. Shiro wrapped an arm around Lance and pulled him closer. Whether it was for Lance’s comfort or his own, he couldn’t really say. He didn’t fall asleep until the sun was peering through his curtains and the muffled sobbing from the other room finally petered out.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>It's been a week since the swap party and I feel that Keith is only taking steps backwards. He was nearly getting used to feedings, but now the moment I ask I can feel his heart rate increase exponentially. After a few failed requests, I've since dropped the subject. After seeing Keith suffer through a panic attack, I wouldn't forgive myself for triggering another. I only hope he can confide in me in time. Lance has taken to staying with me during the day; I've allowed it but I still questioned why. He told me that sleeping at my side was relaxing and that my bed was so much softer. But I know what he's doing; it saddens me that he'd avoid Keith's presence so directly. Keith still seems sour whenever they need to share a room, even if there's no yelling between the two. Maybe they just know I'd stop them and don't bother. It's frustrating that they can't apologize and move on. Still, having something to hold again is…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Shiro's pen stilled as his eyes trailed back to the human still dead asleep, twisted up in his bedding. </span>
  <em>
    <span>...nice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It's selfish but I truly don't have the heart to tell him to stop coming. My torn emotional state aside, I have a good feeling about this next prototype. If I can get a stable test run by the end of the week, I'll be satisfied enough about beating Sendak to the punch. The bastard has taken this family's credit too many times for this to be impersonal anymore. I have to beat him to this, make sure that he's months, if not years behind. Hopes are high for that, I will detail the process further once it's working properly.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro took the remainder of the page to immaculately sketch his latest prototype before he looked over the new entry once more, feeling satisfied, if a bit grim having to stare at all the frustration and worry he'd spilled onto the page. The knot in his stomach only twisted further as he waited for the ink to dry before delicately turning the pages back to Adam's torn memorial. Repairing the fibers of the paper was a long, delicate, and mentally taxing project. He could only work so long before he couldn't take looking at it anymore; still, it was making progress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance opened his eyes slowly, savoring his time in bed for as long as possible. It was already past dusk, much later than when he usually woke up; everyone else probably ate breakfast already. His eyes drifted to Shiro as he squinted over his family's tome. The fierce concentration in his eyes kept Lance from speaking up to greet him. He just laid there, eyes wandering over the vampire's hunched posture and shaking hand. After a few minutes he sat upright and ran his fingers through his hair, exasperated. "Hey…" Lance spoke up now that Shiro wasn't preoccupied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh-? Lance, I didn't realize you were awake," Shiro didn't flinch but he still sounded surprised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t wanna distract you…” Lance yawned and arched his back as he sat up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You slept past breakfast,” Shiro commented as he stood up from his desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance hummed and shrugged. “It’s fine…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll regret that any minute now. I had Hunk save you a portion; go eat.” Shiro lightly pat Lance’s shoulder and nudged him out of bed. He sighed and shuffled out of the room with a weary “fiiiiiiiine”. Shiro let out a soft, enamored huff as Lance shut the door behind him. His eyes trailed back to the disheveled bed, Lance’s latest read, a quite hefty fantasy novel, left on his nightstand. Minutes passed and Shiro still stared. He couldn’t convey how he was feeling with any accuracy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance peered into the bedroom, only relaxing his shoulders when he confirmed that Keith was not in the room. They hadn’t snapped at each other since the night of the party but the tension between them hadn’t settled at all. Breakfasts were dead silent, they avoided the tub in favor of individual shower stalls on the opposite ends of the room, and Lance was avoiding the library altogether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He changed out of his pajamas and left them in his hamper, now empty since the underlings did the laundry this morning. He plucked a fresh set of clothes from the neatly folded stacks on his bed, stalling a bit as he changed. The pajamas he borrowed from Shiro last week were still here and he honestly couldn't take his eyes away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just past them, the Thrall of Passion book was still crammed in between his bed and the wall. His face burned at even the slightest notion of comparing the two. He had been trying to deny his projection since he first picked up that stupid book and finding parallels wasn't helping. Lance ended up wrenching the book out and glossing it over, mindlessly flipping back and forth through the pages he’d read before; the ones that gave him such pleasant dreams. His jaw clenched a bit. Fine, maybe he was protecting; desiring a relationship like this to offset his trauma. Or maybe this was the only way he could come to terms with the fact that Keith and Shiro were, legitimately, extremely attractive! There! He said it, in an empty room, in his head, where no one would ever hear it! …god dammit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance slumped his shoulders and groaned softly, rubbing circles into his forehead with his fingers. "Jeez, is this what being a train wreck is like?" he muttered to no one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're sure you don't mind?" Veronica asked, her mouse cursor nervously running circles around the video file.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you really think this will help find them, then I’ll trust you." Kinkade replied into the phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks...I know this isn't easy for you," Veronica clicked the file and the camera footage from James's kidnapping was uploaded to the website. It was a paranormal discussion board, largely played very professional from what she'd seen of it. Although, part of her felt like this was not a place she should have access to in the first place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>'This may be a dumb long shot, but this is the last place I could think that could help. This video is a few years old and is not altered. I need an explanation why the assaulter's eyes are glowing like that. There was no trace of either of them before or after this incident that I could find and I need answers.’ Veronica scanned over the description one more time before finalizing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So, what now?" Kinkade asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I guess we wait…." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Waiting, it seemed, didn’t take as long as they thought it would. Veronica awoke the next morning to a response on the forum. A user by the name of Moth’s Eye was the only one in the short string of comments on the video that apparently had an answer and had messaged her privately to speak about it. ‘I know what is on this video but my information is limited.’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica frowned a bit and responded, ‘Whatever you can tell me, I’ll take it.’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The reply came alarmingly fast. ‘I understand that word of mouth isn’t the most reliable source but there was a user here that has answered this question before, although since then they have never been active.’ Moth’s Eye sent an image along with the cryptic message, another grainy photo taken at night, a human with the same unnatural glow in their eyes. ‘What you are looking at here, is a vampire.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica felt her body go cold. ‘Vampire? Are you serious??’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘There are whispers that vampires have a habit of hunting for young, healthy-looking humans to keep or sell to others. If you’re looking to find this boy in the video, your chances are slim but it’s not completely out of the question whether or not they’re alive.’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica bit her bottom lip as she tried to muster a response. Vampires..? There’s no way this could be real. There’s no way that Lance… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Who was this user that told you all of this?’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Their handle is Pigeon Feathers. The account still exists despite the inactivity. I wish you luck in finding any other information about them.’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Thanks, I’ll need it…’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, so, that's the plan. Give me your thoughts, be honest," Lance pressed anxiously. The underling only stared up at him blankly, awkwardly waiting for him to move out of the way so the window could be cleaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance let out a stressed whine at the lack of response, “Aaaugh! I’m never gonna be able to do it...” he leaned against the window and groaned. The underling attempted to squirm past him with their cleaning rag but was quickly scooped up by Lance as he stood back up straight. "You know what? No! If I'm not ready to do this now, when will I be? How bad of a decision can this even be at this point!" Lance ranted as he held the underling out in front of himself, not even remotely noticing how it squirmed to get out of his grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks little guy, I needed that…" Lance smiled and hugged the underling a bit as it abruptly lost its rigidity; slipping out of his grip and over his shoulder with an unnatural splat onto the floor. Lance didn't pay it any mind as he confidently puffed his chest and took wide strides up the stairs, now or never.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knocked loudly on Shiro’s door before stepping inside as Shiro turned to see what he wanted. “Hey, Shiro,” Lance tried not to stammer or trip as he was forced to look at Shiro directly and his confidence abruptly plummeted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something you needed, Lance?” Shiro looked away from his notebook, much messier than the family journal and filled with schematics and scribbled out notes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s been almost two months since we met, and I was wondering if, maybe, if you wanted to-” he nearly bit his tongue and stumbled to get back on his prepared script. “Uh! It’s a pretty nice night. So, how about you and me have a nice dinner tonight?” Lance ignored the unflattering crack in his voice as he started to shift nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro stared at him, amused and a bit perplexed. “Lance, we have dinner together every night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-No,” Lance felt his face flush and shrank further into himself. “I mean like...the two of us. Without the others…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro’s eyes brightened a bit as he caught on and he stood up with a smile. “In that case, meet me in the rose garden at dinner time?” he tucked a strand of hair behind Lance’s ear, looking eager for his answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance jumped at a bit at the touch before a smile broke out on his blushing face, “Really?! Y-Yeah, sure, I’ll be there."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled sweetly and gently nudged him out the door. “I’ll see you soon, Lance…” Lance left the room grinning bright, satisfied enough that he didn’t really notice how Shiro had subtly kicked him out of the room for now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gently shut the door and let out a heavy sigh. Just that simple question from Lance created dozens of others that began to pick at him, seeing if there was a frail enough place in him to break and make him call it off as quickly as he agreed. Shiro had to stand there and breathe for longer than he would ever want to admit.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A night alone from everybody else. If I didn’t know better I’d think you’re trying to seduce me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Maybe I am, does that frighten you?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re not exactly good at being scary when you’re this flushed over a human like me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was still so vivid when Shiro closed his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith didn’t want to go to dinner. Even if everyone else had moved on from his outburst, he was still mad that Lance would even say something that passive about monsters drinking their blood. Still, he dragged his feet into the kitchen to avoid being obnoxiously fussed over by everything in this castle that could move. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His sour attitude dispersed a bit when he opened the door and only found the chef at the table, a substantially smaller amount of food on it. “Where is everyone?” Keith asked, making no move to walk closer with how out of place the sight was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Shiro said he and Lance were eating separately tonight. It’s just you and me, bud.” Hunk smiled sweetly before abruptly frowning as Keith turned on his heel and left the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With his fists balled tight, Keith began to search the rooms for signs of the vampire and idiot he once considered escaping with. A deep laugh caught his ear as he glanced out the window beside the staircase. There they were, sitting at an ornate iron table, meticulously decorated with flowers and fine china. Lance was dressed up in his outfit from the swap party, Shiro in yet another tailored suit. Lance was excitedly telling jokes while Shiro attempted and failed to contain his laughter. The churning in Keith’s stomach wasn't from hunger...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Luiz finds us up in the tree, I'm crying, and Rachel is still trying to get higher because she's convinced, at a certain height, you can just walk on air."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, gosh, she didn't fall, did she?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nah, that's the funny part. We were, like, five feet off the ground. I've hit my head on the same branch I was clinging to back then." Another uncontrolled spray of giggles burst out of Shiro's mouth as he set his glass down. He was lucky he hadn't taken a drink yet. Lance couldn't help but smile fondly as the vampire tried to compose himself. "You have a nice laugh…" Lance muttered without really thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro's eyes abruptly snapped back up to Lance as he quietly stammered for a response, "Thank you..? That's not a compliment I usually get," he smiled, innocent and sweet despite the massive fangs that peeked out in the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh, wait, I mean- shit. Uh-! I said that out loud?" Lance flushed and crammed a bite of food in his mouth to force himself to stop talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro only continued to smile fondly at him. "Lance, can I be serious for a moment? I want to ask you something."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance barely managed to keep himself from asking if Shiro was ever not serious and simply nodded. "Y-Yeah, ask away…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If, hypothetically, I could get you back to your family-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My family?? You could actually take me home?!" The table shook slightly as Lance abruptly stood up and leaned over it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hypothetically, Lance," Shiro stressed, attempting to calm him back down, "It all depends on if my next project pans out. But, if I did get you back home, well...you would want to stay with them, right?" Shiro asked, his voice petering into something more quiet and timid. To his surprise, Lance hesitated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well...I...it's not that I don't wanna see them again- god, I do more than anything. But...I don't want it to mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>goodbye</span>
  </em>
  <span> for us," Lance began wringing his hands and toying with his fingers nervously. Shiro, meanwhile, looked stunned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance, you can't possibly mean that. I...I </span>
  <em>
    <span>try</span>
  </em>
  <span> to treat you well but I know this is never something you wanted," he bit his lip, his eyes subconsciously drifting down to stare at his plate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro," Lance set his hand on top of the vampire's, "You're right, I never would have wanted to be kidnapped and sold as a glorified blood bag but...I'm starting to think all of this was worth it. Meeting you is just... I-I don't really know where I was going with this but it was probably something sappy. I don't know…" he mumbled as his face flushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked up again and smiled, slipping his hand out of Lance's light grip and moving it up to cup his cheek. "You don't have to leave, Lance. I don't think this place would really be the same without you." Lance's heart pounded wildly in his chest. He slowly leaned forward as every mechanism in his body struggled to function. He didn't risk opening his mouth, for fear of saying something stupid to ruin the moment. He just let himself lean over the table, eyes fluttering shut as he closed in on Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance only felt a faint graze of Shiro's upper lip before a hissed out curse came from behind him. He opened his eyes and turned, Shiro already staring in the same direction, eyes focused intensely on one of the rose bushes. A louder rustle came from the bushes as Keith unceremoniously flopped out of the bushes, tense and gritting his teeth from the thorns that scratched him and embedded into his skin, "Fuck..!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keith?! What are you doing out here?" Lance glared, sour that his warm moment with Shiro was both ruined and being spied on. An underling stepped out of the bush as well and puffed it’s chest proudly as it continued to try and nudge Keith out of the flower bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, apparently you just gave the fuck up on getting out of here! I didn't know you were this stupid!" Keith growled as he stood up. Lance glared back and pushed himself away from the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance…" Shiro meekly tried to stop him but it did nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not a kid, Keith! You don't get to control what I do because you think it's best for me!" Lance stomped up to Keith, his hands balled into fists.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This isn't about control, it's basic self-preservation. You're the idiot that thinks that being with a fucking monster is the best option you have!" Shiro flinched a bit as Keith and Lance glared each other down, his hands starting to tremble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, sure, call me stupid again since all you can do is insult me because you can't get over your own damn hang-ups! You must be fucking perfect and </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm</span>
  </em>
  <span> the idiot! It's not like you're a selfish dick that's never even bothered to respect me!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why should I respect </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> choice you've made?! I've stayed in this fucking hellhole to keep you alive!!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I NEVER ASKED FOR YOU'RE HELP!" Lance butted his head into Keith's space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"THEN FUCKING DIE FOR ALL I CARE!" Keith clenched his fist tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <b>STOP IT!</b>
  <span>" Shiro shrieked as he stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance lost his balance with a yelp as the ground shook, a tall wall of soil erupting from the grass and splitting Lance and Keith apart from each other. Lance winced as the fall twisted his leg at an odd angle; nothing he'd need a cast for, but it hurt nonetheless. Keith could only stare in awe as Shiro’s magic held the wall in place; the energy was nearly palatable in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boys turned to Shiro, both of them shaking and scared as Shiro panted and growled, his eyes solid red. Lance flinched when Shiro turned in his direction and he froze, his snarl faltering. Shiro's eyes abruptly turned back to normal, the iron grip he had on his chair reluctantly loosened as he stumbled back towards the door inside; his legs shaking to the point he was unstable. His ragged breaths turned to panicked hyperventilation as his vision warped and faded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sh-Shiro…" Lance stood up and followed him as the wall crumbled to an unremarkable pile of dirt again just as fast as it appeared. "Shiro, hang on!" Lance jumped as Shiro slammed the door behind himself. When Lance opened it again, Shiro was gone with no trace to where he went. He glanced back at Keith, still standing in the grass. He couldn't form how he felt into words. He didn't want to; especially not with Keith. All he could do was give him a hurt look and shut the door before it was noticeable just how close to tears he was.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As far as Lance was concerned, Keith didn’t exist anymore. Nothing did except for all the doors he hoped to open and find Shiro behind. He stumbled down the basement stairs and found nothing but messy tables and shelves, completely untouched today. In the kitchen he only found a worried Hunk, trying to soothe the underlings that were still frazzled from the scream and burst of energy from outside. Hunk hadn’t seen him at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance threw open the library doors and grabbed the underling off one of the shelves. “Sh-Shiro! Where’s Shiro??” The underling only looked up at him blankly, there wasn’t even an old scent to track in the room and thus they knew nothing about his whereabouts. Lance hissed out a curse and dropped them as he ran out of the second floor door. He tripped on the stairs a few times but ignored his slowly bruising legs as he ran to Shiro’s bedroom, the emptiness of the room almost mocked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finally gave up once his eyes had swept over every dark corner of the castle. His legs shook with exhaustion and pain as he slumped on the couch in the foyer. If Shiro was even still in the castle, he didn’t want to be found; and that thought broke the dam that Lance had been struggling to hold up behind his eyes. His hitched breath echoed in the dark room as hot tears rolled down his cheeks. The emotional weight of everything knocked him down and refused to let him try and recover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro was gone and Keith wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> gone. Even if he didn’t need a shoulder to cry on, he no longer had one. Lance just tried to make himself small, his blurry vision staying on the front door of the castle, just praying for Shiro to walk through it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith stared out the window as he curled up in bed. He huffed as the first few rays of sunlight made the horizon glow. It was strange to think that he would miss the rays of the sun so much. Even as he laid in bed, he couldn’t fall asleep, his mind still pulsing with stress and every unused rebuttal to Lance’s stupid choices that only came to mind several hours later. Lance still had not set foot inside their room since he’d changed for his little date- thinking about that word only made Keith more furious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With enough light in the room Keith decided to pull his notes back out from under the bed, at least he could make an attempt to distract himself from Lance. As the sun came up fully, he heard the door open. He didn’t turn towards Lance and kept his head down, focusing on the page so he wouldn’t need to see him drawing the curtains closed to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you’re still awake…” Keith flinched and looked up, Shiro standing wearily in the doorway. Even though Shiro couldn’t have </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> seen it, Keith still tried to messily pull his translation notes behind his own body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want?” Keith snapped, tensing as Shiro stepped closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to talk, Keith,” Shiro said bluntly as he sat on the bed beside Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to apologize. I don’t care what you do to me; I am not letting Lance stay in this pathetic delusion. So what if he hates me for it. He’ll thank me eventually…” Keith glared and turned away, hoping to answer Shiro’s questions before he had a chance to ask them and cut this interaction short. He was sort of right, at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of saying anything, Shiro reached out and grabbed the paper’s behind Keith’s back before he could make a move to stop him. “Wh- hey!” Keith reached out to grab them back but retracted before he got too close to the vampire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro silently looked over the poorly written and even more poorly translated text before glancing back at Keith with a stern expression. “You want to know what this says so badly? Fine, I’ll show you.” Shiro stood up and Keith followed suit, his body moving without his own input.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sensation of moving at the mercy of a vampire’s powers shot a jolt of panic through Keith, remembering the way he would be dragged and thrown around by Sendak. Keith gulped and tried to focus on his breathing. Having another panic attack now would only make him vulnerable. Shiro let him go once they reached his bedroom and opened the hefty book, still on his desk where he had been attempting to repair Adam’s page again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come here, Keith,” Shiro’s voice stayed calm but that was still clearly an order. Keith complied, if only to keep his autonomy as he stared down at the page. Keith flinched when Shiro briefly covered his eyes with his hand but when he pulled away, the page was written completely in English. “Go on, read it…” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I never wanted to have to write this entry, even now I'm still reeling over how all this happened. My darling Adam, taken from me right before my eyes. Recounting this will be hard, my hands haven't stopped shaking since, but still, I'll try... </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro’s gaze was gently pulled away from the window by a soft rustle along his bedsheets. His eyes traced the fit frame of the human who had wormed into his shell and decided to make it his home. Adam stretched across the bed, flashing Shiro a smirk as he purposely arched his body underneath the thin sheets. “Evening…” he hummed, gently coaxing Shiro closer with a slow curl of his finger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled back at him and crawled back on the bed, gently picking up a pair of glasses from the nightstand and placing them on Adam’s face. Adam returned the gesture with a soft kiss, lazily draping his arms around Shiro’s neck. Shiro reluctantly pulled his lips away, being able to gaze into Adam’s eyes being his compensation. “Are you excited for today?” Shiro asked with a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More worried about what you’ve been planning that has </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> so excited,” Adam commented snarkily, but still with a warm smile on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro hummed contently and gently pressed his forehead to Adam’s. “I’ll see you at breakfast, love,” he punctuated his words with another peck on Adam’s lips as he finally slipped back out of bed and straightened his clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slipped out of the room and shut the door to let Adam dress in peace before spotting another figure in the hallway. “Narti? Do you need help getting down the stairs?” Shiro asked, speaking softly in an attempt not to startle the blind girl standing outside the room. She still jumped nonetheless and promptly shook her head, pressing her body closer to the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his knowledge, Narti wasn’t mute; but she still had never spoken a word to him. Shiro paid no mind to her shy stance or what exactly she was clutching in her hand hidden behind her back. He carried on only with the goal not to make her more uncomfortable.</span>
</p><p>------------</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wish I had noticed things sooner. Apparently, while I was preoccupied, Roy and Narti had made a poison in an attempt to kill me. I was too preoccupied with giving Adam a perfect date. I spotted them on the staircase of the ballroom, just a blink too late. The dart struck Adam instead of me. Seeing him collapse right in front of my eyes still haunts me. Desperate, I attempted to drain it out of his blood but the combination of toxins made me vomit almost immediately. Even as I tried to push through it and properly turn him, hoping that it would save him, he went still no matter what I did. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hunk had to pull his body away from me; I knew it was from ingesting the poison but having him torn from my arms made me feel like I’d lost my life force. It took nearly an hour, but I composed myself just enough to confront Roy and Narti. Unfortunately, I didn’t prepare for what I saw. They knew I saw them fire the dart. They knew I was aware they killed Adam and, apparently, they felt my anger would be a worse fate to endure than death itself. They had planned this contingency, slumped over side by side with empty vials in their palms. My memory just goes black after that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Normally, I would be adding their remains to our mausoleum myself but I...I can't. I don't think I could take staring at their cadavers for another second; writing this is already too much. I feel like I’m responsible and, in a way, I am responsible. I feel sick and numb, like my body will shatter with anymore accumulating pressure. I may just let my body rot this way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I never want to feed again.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment Keith blinked after finishing the page, the text returned to Japanese. He opened his mouth to speak but struggled to really say anything as he turned back to Shiro. The vampire was tense and shaking, turned away from him and the book entirely. He looked scared, distressed, vulnerable; the helplessness in his body language was a far cry from the intimidating vampire master he was living under.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith frowned and stepped closer to keep himself in Shiro’s line of sight. “I...I’m sorry. I didn’t know that he...they…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That they killed each other?” Shiro spoke up, his tone was hurt, a bit angry even, “All because one thought I was a monster the other saw something different. Sound familiar to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith paled a bit at the thought of Lance’s blood on his hands. “I…I wouldn’t-” Keith bit his lip, he knew Shiro wouldn’t believe him. He wasn't even sure if he believed it himself, if push came to shove… Not that he would ever try to, but Roy didn’t exactly try either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not saying that you would, but.. they fought so often. The last few months they avoided each other entirely. They snapped every time they were in a five foot radius of me and-” Shiro’s voice croaked and trembled as tears welled in his eyes. “I just can’t stand seeing you both fight, just like they did."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to fight with Lance, I just...this isn’t how I expected this to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sniffled and tried to blot away his own tears. “Nothing ever is, Keith. You can’t plan so far in the future that you neglect the present,” he sighed and sat down on his desk chair. “Do what you want with me, you know plenty of ways to kill me now, but Lance doesn’t deserve your hate. Please, Keith, I can’t see the two of you like this.” Shiro looked up at him pitifully, such a powerful vampire practically groveling at his feet with tears in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith frowned and gently set a hand on Shiro's shoulder, his chest tight from seeing Shiro try to blink back tears. "I'm not going to hurt either of you. I...I promised Lance I wouldn't. I just…" Keith glanced away as he struggled to find his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You should talk to him…" Shiro mumbled, setting his hand gently over Keith's, savoring the small amount of tenderness from the boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith stood there for a moment, but he nodded and pulled back before leaving the room. He found Lance still in the foyer, tear streaks still on his cheeks as he laid on the couch, dead asleep with a thin blanket sloppily thrown over him. Keith sighed and slowly sat down beside him, unsure how to approach this. He finally set a hand on his shoulder and nudged him awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance groaned softly and opened his eyes, looking up at Keith weary and annoyed. "What do you want," he said, his voice quiet but sharp as he made no effort to sit up or fully look Keith in the eye. Keith almost found it surprising that Lance could look so irritated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, um...I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have said all that to you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Much less screamed it," Lance snipped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Look, I fucked up okay? I was mad at you and took it too far."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance stayed silent for a minute before he sat up, looking at Keith with a reserved, conflicted expression. “Just...why do you hate me so much?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith couldn’t help but look a bit hurt, “I don’t hate you,” he pressed. “But after everything I went through, and seeing the bastard that...hurt me. The last thing I want is the same thing happening to you when I could have gotten you out.” Keith began to shrink a bit as he tried to keep his voice from shaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was quick to shuffle a bit closer, feeling a need to comfort him even if he stopped short from actually touching him. “This situation sucks, I won’t deny that. But Shiro has been so much nicer than he ever needed to be. I know it sounds like I’m an idiot with a soft spot but I legitimately think he wants to help us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith glanced down at his feet, letting himself dwell on the page he just read, all the vulnerability the vampire had shown him. It made his gut twist and his head feel heavy as he tried and failed to process this all at once. “You know...I’ve realized now that I don’t know as much about this as I thought I did. I’m not in control of this and I’m not in control of you,” Keith finally brought his eyes up to meet Lance’s. “I won’t stop you from going through with...this, but I want you to know that I’m here to help if something does go wrong. I...I trust you, Lance.” Lance smiled ever so slightly as Keith extended his hand tentatively. “So...friends?” Keith offered, awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s eyes flicked to his hand then back up to his face before leaning in and pulling Keith into a hug. “Friends…” he agreed with a soft hum. Keith froze up for a moment before his hands drifted around him slowly and settled on Lance’s back. He gradually slumped against Lance, completely exhausted now that his anger had deflated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whoa-!" Lance squeaked as Keith's weight knocked him back down to the couch. He tried to ignore his flushing face as Keith blinked up at him, slow and tired. "Need some sleep, buddy?" Lance joked, more fondness in his voice than he intended. Keith only let out a soft groan, completely unable to focus as he started to drift off. Lance let out a relenting sigh and pulled the blanket out from under Keith, laying it over them both as he settled back on the couch cushions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was dusk when Lance opened his eyes again, the amber sunlight blocked by Shiro's body as he sat beside them. "Shiro!" Lance smiled, his voice filled with relief as he sat up. Shiro smiled back at him but held a finger to his own lips. Lance crooked an eyebrow before glancing down at Keith, still asleep between them both. His hair draped messily around his face as he twitched and stirred but stayed asleep. "Oh, sorry…" Lance whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro huffed out a breath to keep from laughing aloud, "I'm sorry I left so abruptly yesterday. I...needed some time to myself after that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nodded in understanding, "Don't worry about it. Keith and I made up at least so...hopefully that won't happen anymore."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad, it's hurt to see you two fighting for so long." Shiro leaned into Lance, pressing his lips to his hair; not quite a kiss but affectionate nonetheless. "I'll see you at breakfast, Lance…" Lance could only stare and blush as Shiro left the room.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Choice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>'I<span> know this is sudden, but several users here have said that this kidnapper is really a vampire. I need any information you have to find them.'</span></p><p>
  <span>Veronica lightly tapped at her cheek as she stared down her screen. Minutes ticked by as her inpatient fingers fidgeted and curled before moving back to the keyboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>'Please, I just need answers. If I get a dead end here I won't have anything left!'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica swatted at her tears as she tried to quell her overwhelming frustration; the possibility that Lance would never be found finally becoming a palpable dread in her mind. She wasn't quite sure how long she sat there, holding back tears, but her attention was drawn at a noise from her computer, a notification. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>'I can answer everything soon.'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Pidge, come on! We gotta go!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge pouted as her screen went dark, the brief charge dying yet again. She uncrossed her legs and rolled off her bed onto her feet, "I'm coming, hold on a minute!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeez Shiro, you’re starting to even wear me out with all this social stuff,” Lance whined as he rubbed his eye wearily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve had over a week to yourself, Lance…” Shiro reminded him, “And besides, it’s just Allura and Matt for a little lunch get together. I need to get in my use of the garden before the cold kills everything off.” Lance hummed in response, his thoughts drifting a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay, Lance?” Keith asked, idly picking at his food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just hard to think that I spent so long here. It feels like it’s been no time at all…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro frowned softly and gently wrapped his arm around Lance’s waist. “I promise, if everything goes to plan that we’ll make the most of next year. As much as I probably won’t survive in the daylight heat,” he chuckled softly and pulled the human closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance hummed again but smiled up at him. “I’ve been meaning to ask, do you actually, like, catch fire in direct sunlight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro laughed at that, moving his hand up to mess with Lance’s hair. “I don’t spontaneously combust, if that’s what you’re asking. It can just be little much for my senses at times. It may just be vampire acclimation that actually keeps us so light and heat sensitive but I haven’t been brave enough to test that. I may not die but sunburns aren’t pleasant.” Both boys cracked a smile at that as they continued to eat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this project all of this hinges on, exactly? You never exactly told us.” Keith pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It's complicated when you get into the details but it’s teleportation magic essentially; except it's contained in a physical long distance portal. If I can get it to work we could travel anywhere in no time at all,” Shiro explained, “Short distance teleportation isn’t very difficult in terms of spells-” he demonstrated his point by effortlessly disappearing from the table, grabbing an apple from the other end of the room as he spoke. “-but transferring that into a physical object that anyone can use has been extremely difficult to make work, much less to make safe. That’s why there’s a bit of an ‘if’ tacked to all of this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance frowned briefly before pulling his smile on again, “I’m sure you’ll get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled back before turning towards the door, “Speaking of which, I was hoping to get in a test before our lunch. I’ll see you both later, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck, Shiro!” Lance called as Shiro ushered a few underlings down to the basement with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A relaxing bath and a few book chapters later, Shiro rapped on the door to the pet room, looking absolutely delighted to see them dressed and ready. “You’re both ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were waiting on you,” Keith jabbed lightly as they both followed him out to the garden. Allura and Romelle were already there, both in long white dresses. Allura was actually bold enough to wear straps despite the high-50 degree weather, while Romelle had decorative long sleeves and a short, heavy cloak on her shoulders. You know, like sensible people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allura, Romelle, lovely to see you both again.” Lance gave the ladies a dramatic bow, earning a small laugh from the vampires and an eye roll from Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good to see you too, Lance, Keith, you’re looking well.” Allura smiled at them both as they took their seats. Her eyes held a tinge of worry when they focused on Keith, and he quickly noticed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m feeling better now…” he mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura smiled softly, “I’m glad, Shiro told me the party shook you up a bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re all doing much better now, Allura,” Shiro smiled brightly, “You’ll have to tell me the gossip after I left, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh trust me, I didn’t forget.” Allura smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Romelle turned to look behind her when she heard the creak and clatter of a metal gate open and close. “Hey losers!” Pidge waved as Matt shut the gate behind himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About time you two showed up,” Shiro commented as Allura turned and smiled as the siblings approached the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-Allura! Hey there,” Matt waved as he attempted to stave off the heat creeping up his face. Pidge propped her glasses up higher on her nose and gave her brother a cheeky smirk. The train wreck that was her brother was already worth coming out here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello Matt. Gosh I haven’t seen you since the dinner for your father, have I? We really should catch up more.” she smiled innocently as she offered up the empty chair on her other side. Pidge plopped down across from them as Shiro began to pour them all drinks from the varying teapots and pitchers sitting in the center of the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So...how are you?” Matt itched at his neck as Shiro noticeably refused to start the conversation, only offering him a sly glance as he passed snacks to the pets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing well,” Allura responded easily, “I'm honestly relieved I was able to block today off to get away from business talk and stuffy meetings. You boys are much better company." Her eyes flicked to Matt with a cheeky smirk as Matt tried to hide his flushed cheeks behind the rim of his cup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ha, I get it, even if I don't get dragged to that kind of stuff. Sometimes you just need a break with friends." Matt mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled at them before turning to keep Pidge busy with conversation as they picked over the array of snacks. He wanted to give Matt the time to talk with Allura, not to mention keep his sister from trying to embarrass him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Pidge, can I ask you something?" Lance leaned a bit closer to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge swallowed the food in her mouth before turning to him. "What's up?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I just remembered, back at that dinner party, did you actually bite me? I couldn’t find a mark."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge seemed to freeze for a moment, briefly glancing back to Matt who didn't seem to notice as he bantered with Allura. "Uh, I just wasn't in the mood for it that night. It's...polite to just kinda pretend when you're not hungry."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance raised his eyebrow a bit, "Really…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, really, so stop dwelling on it like a weirdo," Pidge stated, pushing her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose as she scrunched away defensively. Lance's gaze lingered on her a bit longer before turning back to the various platter of snacks in front of him. Even if he prodded the question further, it didn’t seem like he would get an answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Romelle let out a content sigh as she gently cleaned up her face with her napkin as she finished her fill of the food. “Allura, would it be alright if I looked around Master Shiro’s garden?” Romelle asked timidly as she stretched. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As long as he’s alright with it, go right ahead,” Allura glanced to Shiro at the head of the table and he nodded in agreement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith, Lance, how about you go with her. You two should stretch your legs.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I guess it couldn’t hurt,” Keith shrugged as he stood up from the table. Lance followed suit after taking a moment to stare in shock at how cooperative Keith was being. He hadn’t even given anyone a dirty look all day!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sighed as they left the table, an unshakeable smile on his face. “Someone’s in a good mood, and I’m not just talking about Keith’s improvement,” Allura commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro felt his face flush as he forced himself to pull his eyes away. “I just-! It’s nice to see them getting comfortable finally…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shiro, we both know you have…” Matt gave Pidge a tentative glance before continuing, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Feelings</span>
  </em>
  <span> about these kinds of things-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’m gonna head inside to use the bathroom. I’m not getting stuck in this conversation,” Pidge announced as she abruptly stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro felt his face flush more as Matt sighed and turned back to him, “And this is exactly why we worry about you. I mean, people are still spreading rumors around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Matt’s right, it’s bad for your image regardless of if it’s just slander or not.” Allura commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust me, I’m well aware that my pet keeping habits have become a bit...frowned upon, but I’m fine with a few harsh words from Sendak. No one believes him anyway…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura and Matt exchanged a look before turning back to Shiro. "They really are that important to you, huh…" Matt mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't help it," Shiro sighed as his eyes trailed to Lance and Keith, focusing more on them than the conversation, "They've just made me so happy. I actually feel like I'm...healing. I don't see why I should deny that for myself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We worry about you being in too deep Shiro, but we got your back when you need it.” Matt assured, Allura nodding in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I have yours. I’m glad to have you two as friends,” Shiro smiled softly, flashing them a smile before he turned back to continue watching the pets wander the garden. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Romelle beamed as she took in the lush garden, spinning slowly where she stood and taking it all in as her dress flowed in the breeze. "It's nice, huh," Lance commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's beautiful!" Romelle exclaimed, crouching to examine a small bed of wildflowers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know, I think I'm finally cozying up to this whole pet thing." Lance thought aloud as he stared out at the landscape beyond the backyard gate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Isn't it wonderful?" she smiled back at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro is wonderful," Lance corrected, blushing slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Romelle nodded in agreement. "He's very kind. You're so fortunate to have him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith hummed as he hovered by the conversation, his hand gently wrapping around one of the gate's iron bars. "I suppose we are…" Lance found himself smiling at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith gently scritched at the paper in front of him, judging his marks on the paper as the cool night air blew through his hair. He sat curled up in the top floor tower beside a small flickering lantern, pencils and papers littering the floor. The lunch had been uneventful but he still felt the need to retreat to somewhere quiet and relax away from people. He flipped his pencil over between his fingers a few times as he debated erasing the fresh lines before glancing up at the echo of footsteps climbing up the staircase.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Lance smiled as he poked his head into the doorway before plopping down beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey…" Keith replied, stilted and awkward but he stayed relaxed as Lance sat with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So, whatcha doing up here?" Lance asked, leaning over to peek at his paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just thought I'd get some fresh air, you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed, "Shiro doesn't want me poking around the basement while he's working on the portal. Figured I'd just bug you instead." he grinned with a soft chuckle. Keith smiled back and continued to sketch, the drawing both too amateurish and too unfinished for Lance to tell what it was. "You draw?" Lance questioned, nearly leaning his shoulder against Keith's to get a better look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith shrugged in turn, "Kinda, I just tend to fall back to it to keep me busy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh yeah? No more cracking the code to the vampire's secrets?" Keith's jaw tightened slightly; he hadn't told Lance about what happened between him and Shiro. He didn't feel it was his place to breach the subject for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, he doesn't really have much to hide. Nothing that would help me, I don't know why I even drew that connection," Keith rambled a bit as Lance hummed softly in agreement. "I just, I guess I had this idea that we'd leave together and help each other get back. You'd get back to your family and I would've felt like I...saved someone other than myself. That I helped…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey…" Lance wrapped an arm around Keith's neck, smiling brightly, "Even if you and Shiro kept fighting, I'd still want you around. We're friends, and I wanna be able to help you too." Keith watched just Lance beam, a faint wash of heat breaking onto his skin despite the chilly night air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks, Lance, but you've already done enough..." The movement was too sudden for Lance to react, fingers tilted his chin up and chapped lips pressed against his own. The kiss was brief, Lance still processing the shockwave going through his body as Keith pulled away and stood up. His posture was lax and his steps remained casual as he gave Lance a smile and descended the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wh...wait, you can't just do that and leave! Keith!! Get back here!" Lance's face burned as he scrambled to get back up on his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro glanced up as he heard footsteps on the stone steps behind him. "Lance, I told you, you shouldn't- oh." Shiro turned fully to face Keith with a smile. "Something you need me for, Keith?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just...thought I'd check in," Keith answered, innocently wandering up towards the portal. The machine took a sizable portion of the back wall now, the tubes of various fluids bubbling and churning around it. It felt warm, even when Shiro held his arm out to keep him a few feet away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You shouldn't get too close. I don't know how this test is going to pan out." Keith nodded and took a step back. "Hm...let's see how long we can hold one open on the east coast," Shiro hummed to himself as he fussed with the coordinates. He took a firm stance in front of it as energy began to arc off the tips of his fingers. It lingered in the air as his hand moved, drawing a complicated symbol inside the walls of the circle at the machine's center. He stepped farther back as swirling color blanketed the circle; the distorted image of a bustling boardwalk fading into view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes!" Shiro grinned and rushed to his work table, scribbling down notes in his journal. "If it holds long enough then Lance’s hometown will be easy to reach.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shiro…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vampire stopped his eager scribbling, looking up to where Keith was standing in front of the portal, a calm smile on his face. “This isn’t your fault. None of it was…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What-?” It took so little, that content smile and a single step, but Shiro never felt so much fear sink into his body. His eyes flicked to the portal as the image began to flicker and shrink. "Keith, wait! It's destabilizing!!" Keith kept his smile as Shiro took a single, desperate leap to intercept him. The energy of the portal crackling as it contracted into a bright burst of light before fizzling out entirely. Shiro fell to the floor, his fingers gripping the stone beneath him as he struggled to hold his composure. His arms, empty.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Runaway</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>‘Okay, I have time to talk now.’</span> <span>Veronica smiled hopefully at the notification from Pigeon Feathers and opened the chat client. ‘You said you needed help locating the boy in your post, yes?’</span></p><p>
  <span>‘If you could.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘The person that took him was definitely a vampire; a human seller. But the boy isn't familiar to me. I might be able to find something but it would take some time.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I appreciate anything you can do. But I'm looking for someone else too.’ Veronica dragged the photo from Lance's missing poster into the chat. ‘His name is Lance, my brother, he's been missing since August…’ The next message seemed to take an eternity to send.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I know him. I saw him the other day.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘You did?! Where is he? Is he okay??’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘He's fine, but you can't get to him.’ Before Veronica could protest, another message was sent. ‘I could give him a message for you, though.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica tightened her jaw but sighed reluctantly. ‘Just...tell him that we miss him, that I've never stopped trying to find him.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I will.’ Pigeon Feathers went offline before Veronica could thank them properly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment Keith stepped through the portal he felt like he was falling. He shielded his eyes as his body was flung through the disorienting abyss, limp and helpless. He screamed until he felt something hit his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs as gravity finally took hold of him again and he tumbled through a patch of unkempt grass. He coughed harshly as he struggled to open his eyes again, the dull blue of the early morning sky hanging above him. The weight on his chest shifted and rolled into Keith’s lap as he slowly sat up; perked ears and a long tail poked out of the dark ball of fur.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What..?" The creature in his lap twitched and stirred, rolling over to reveal it's small snout and stubby paws. "Ah!" Keith scrambled back as the wolf-like creature rolled back onto its feet and shook out it's long, wild fur. It toddled towards Keith, sniffing at his shoe as it stared at him with unnatural yellow eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What...are you??" The wolf cocked it's head for a moment before a distorted high pitched tone shot through Keith's head with no discernable source. "Ah-! Ow!" Keith clutched his head as his ears rang. The wolf noticed and stopped for a moment before the noise returned, quieter this time. "Wha- K...Kos...mo…?" Keith moved his mouth as if forced to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kosmo wagged his tail and rested a paw on Keith's hand. "Well...Kosmo...nice to, uh, meet you?? But I should get going." Keith stood up and brushed off his pants as he started to trek through the wild grass. He abruptly stopped when Kosmo appeared right in front of him after a few steps. "You...want to come with?" Keith guessed. Kosmo let out a very quiet bark and teleported a few feet ahead, looking back to check that Keith was following. Finding no reason to refuse the company, Keith let the strange little wolf keep pace with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance crashed directly into Shiro's chest as he entered the basement, the vampire’s broad hands catching him by the waist as he stumbled back. "Shiro! Have you seen Keith??" It only took one look to notice the distressed look on Shiro's face, how his body stiffened further at the mention of Keith. "What...what happened..?" Lance breathed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was just testing the portal. I didn't think Keith would…" Shiro hitched, panicked and shaky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt a chill go through his body. "He went through??" Shiro glanced away shamefully as Lance pushed out of his grip and into the room. "Come on. If we just start it again he'll be right there, right?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not that simple. The rift was destabilizing when he went through. He could have ended up anywhere."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well we have to get him back somehow!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, Lance…" Shiro gave a defeated sigh as his shoulders slumped. "I think he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>to leave. Besides, he made this choice for himself; I don't have the right to stop him…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A quiet whine bubbled in Lance's throat as he squeezed his hands in tight fists. "It's not fair. He can't just leave after he-!" Lance bit his lip, just thinking about it again made the words struggle to come out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked to Lance with worry and confusion as his cheeks flushed, "Lance, did something happen?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance looked down at the floor to avoid Shiro’s concerned gaze. After a moment, he gave up the struggle to find the right words and let out a loud, frustrated groan. “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span> is we were just getting along, having a nice chat, and then, </span>
  <em>
    <span>then,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he just decided to-! Just-! Kiss me! And then he left! Just like that!!” Lance paced the stone floor as his voice began to raise in pitch from his distress. “That jerk drive-by shot me and now you’re saying I’m never going to see him again?!” Lance stormed directly up to Shiro as Shiro held his hands out to grip his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, deep breaths…” Despite his frustration, Lance did as he asked, eyes watering as he took in larger breaths and tried to force his lips not to quiver. Shiro frowned and pulled him close as he watched his chest heave, gently petting Lance’s head. “I just…” Lance croaked out, “I didn’t even get to say anything back…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro felt his cheeks grow warm even as he frowned, “Neither did I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a strange feeling when he saw it. A few minutes of walking and Keith had found the embodiment of freedom and autonomy, a symbol that he was finally out of his hellish circumstance. It was just asphalt but still, he nearly cried. He ran his hand over the smooth texture, taking in the faint odor of worn rubber and gasoline. Man made construction, strange to think he hadn't seen it in this many years.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Danger! </span>
  </em>
  <span>What??</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith froze when he heard a loud honk, a truck barreling down the road right towards him. He felt a tug on the back of his shirt and in a flash he was several feet away from the road, head thankfully not crushed under a tire. Kosmo let out a soft growl as he continued to tug at the back of Keith's shirt, inching his body away from the dangerous road. "Did...you do that?" Keith asked, astonished before he drew his attention back to the truck as the tires squealed and it abruptly stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The hell were you doing, kid?!" The driver yelled out his window, exasperated but clearly relieved he didn't get run over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh…do you think I could get a ride?" Keith shrugged helplessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The driver looked stunned for a minute before letting out an amused huff. "You always hitchhike by lying in the road?" he asked as he leaned over and opened the passenger door. "Come on, get in." Keith picked up Kosmo and hoisted himself up into the truck, awkwardly fumbling with the seat belt while Kosmo sniffed around. "Where exactly are you going?" the driver asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith paused for a minute before giving another shrug, "Anywhere, I guess...is there a city nearby?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I was about to stop there for gas. I can drop you off somewhere around there, alright?" Keith nodded, holding Kosmo closer as the car sped up again. “So what’s your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh...it’s Keith…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Keith, I don’t mean to pry but you don’t find many kids your age out in the middle of nowhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith bit his lip nervously, “It’s...a long story. You probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve heard some crazy stories in my day. But I won’t pester if you don’t wanna talk,” the man responded with a kind smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just...surreal being here right now. I’m worried things will just go wrong again any minute.” Keith mumbled as he watched the cloudy and dying landscape of late fall pass them by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could probably find a police station to drop you if that would help,” the man gave him a concerned frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing they could really do,” Keith muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just don’t be afraid to speak up, alright kiddo?” Keith nodded in understanding and idly pet Kosmo’s head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The car slowed down as they turned off the highway and rolled up to a dimly lit gas station. Keith let out a soft groan as he stepped out onto the pavement, his head aching from the unfamiliar feeling of being in a car. The man stretched as he also got out, grabbing his wallet from the cup holder as he shut the door. “Hold tight just a second, alright? I’ll be right back.” Keith shrugged and did as he was asked, leaning against the side of the truck to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later the man tapped his shoulder, holding out a plastic grocery bag to him. “I know it isn’t much, but I figure it wouldn’t hurt.” The bag was filled with water bottles, granola bars, jerky, and a map. Keith looked up at the man, confused and stunned. “You look like you’ll be on a rough path for a while. Wouldn’t want you running on nothing,” the man gave him a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...thank you…” Keith smiled softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck out there, kiddo.” The man patted his shoulder and gave Kosmo a brief pet before Keith turned away, simply picking direction to walk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed as he peered through the ajar door to Shiro’s room, one of the underlings peeking through as well between his feet. After the incident with Keith, Lance had been pacing restlessly for the remainder of the night. He just couldn't process it all, and he couldn’t only imagine how Shiro was beating himself up about it. “Hey…” Lance mumbled as he fully poked his head in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro glanced up from where his eyes had been vacantly staring down at his bedspread. “Hey…” he responded softly, bringing his knees up to his chest to lay his chin against. It was such a vulnerable position; Lance couldn’t really picture seeing the vampire in such a state, even when the image was right in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance slipped through the narrow gap between the door, not pushing it open any farther than he had too, and sat with him on the bed. “You okay?” He reached down to pick up the underling that was currently trying and failing to climb up to the bed, scratching its head idly as he looked to Shiro with worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sighed and brushed his hair away from his eyes as he lifted his head. “It’s been a lot to process but...I’m okay,” Shiro assured quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nudged his shoes off before scooting further onto the bed, leaning against Shiro’s shoulder with a faint sigh. “I know what you mean...I mean, I thought Keith was attractive but then I asked you out first and now we’re a thing, at least, I’m pretty sure we’re a thing. But now I have all these thoughts coming back and I can’t stop thinking about how he just...</span>
  <em>
    <span>kissed</span>
  </em>
  <span> me! How am I supposed to sort all of this out when he’s not even coming back-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s cries petered out in throat as Shiro wrapped a firm arm around his shoulders and pressed him even closer. “Of course we’re a couple. I know I’m not the most physically affectionate but I do love you, Lance.” Lance’s cheeks flushed as he relaxed against Shiro’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then...should I even be telling you all this? About my stupid crush on Keith?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro hummed softly before shifting to pull Lance against his chest, moving his legs to drape across his lap. “Lance, are you familiar with the concept of polyamory?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like, a guy having a bunch of different wives?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro huffed fondly, “That’s technically polygamy, but the concept is similar.” Shiro hummed as he began to run his fingers through Lance’s hair. “Tell you what, if we ever see Keith again, we’ll both tell him how we feel. We’ll be honest and make the best of our time together; all three of us...” Shiro nuzzled his cheek against Lance’s and smiled softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance smiled back and returned the nuzzle, his tight chest relaxing with warmth as he sunk more into Shiro. “Yeah...okay… I just hope he’s alright out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro turned to lay on his side, bringing Lance down with him, “I think he is. Keith is strong and, at the very least, I believe in him.” Lance hummed in agreement, his hand clutching Shiro’s shirt just a little tighter. “The sun’s rising already. Get some sleep, Lance; I’ll be right here…” Shiro assured, hugging Lance loosely as the underling on the bed tugged the blankets up onto them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry but we’re closing up. You’re gonna have to go…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith glanced up at the timid and weary barista, standing up without a fight. “Thanks for letting me linger for so long,” he muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come back anytime. You’re not exactly a trouble maker. And neither was the dog I caught sneaking around,” the barista flashed Keith a cheeky smile as he froze. Kosmo teleported back down from his hiding place on the ceiling’s support beams, crawling out from under the table with a timid whine. “Don’t worry, I’ll let it slide,” she crouched and offered a hand out for Kosmo to sniff. She gave him a quick pet before standing back up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess we’ll be going then… C’mon Kosmo,” Keith beckoned him back to his side as he turned towards the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be safe out there, okay? It’s supposed to get really cold tonight.” Keith waved her off, ignoring his own shiver as he passed through the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scrounging for food and finding good company had been shockingly easy the last few days. It wasn’t glamorous, but his choices were his own. It was really all Keith could’ve asked for. Still, feeling a stray snowflake grace his nose as he settled against the wall of a grocery store, dark and closed up for the night, wasn’t the most ideal. He curled up tighter, breathing into his shirt in an attempt to keep his cheeks warm. Kosmo let out a soft whine but remained at his side, shifting restlessly at his feet. Keith let out a breath and closed his eyes, his toes curling as if physically trying to avoid going numb as he fell asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kosmo stayed awake, alert and stressed as he paced around Keith’s sleeping figure. He watched Keith’s extremities tremble, he wouldn’t survive the night if it got any colder. Kosmo reluctantly left Keith’s side and stood tall as he howled into the night. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Help, help us.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The sound caught the attention of a figure across the street, stopping mid-step to look in Kosmo’s direction. Kosmo howled again and waited patiently for the man to approach. He reluctantly let the stranger look Keith over, whining softly as Keith shivered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, are you okay??” The man called out to Keith, who moaned weakly and let out soft puffs of steam as his skin burned red from the cold. The man frowned and piled the weakened young man into his arms, “Let’s get you somewhere warm…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really shouldn’t go out on your own…” Colleen commented, looking Pidge over as she went for the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine, mom. I have something important to tell Shiro, I shouldn’t wait. Besides, if it gets too late, I’ll ask to stay the day. I’m sure he won’t mind.” Pidge shrugged and continued out the door, despite her mother’s worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She remembered the path just enough to navigate it on her own, even if she needed to stop at a particular fork in the road. “Was it up the hill or was that the wrong turn we took last time?” she muttered to herself. After a moment, Pidge jolted as she heard a rustle behind her, pushing her glasses farther up her nose as she turned around. “Who’s there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could ask the same of you,” a gruff voice spat back out from the darkness. Pidge took a quick step back, her ankle catching a tree root and throwing her off balance. She bit back a yelp as she fell to the ground. “Now why, exactly, would you have anything to fear from me? What would make you think I would harm another vampire?” the man questioned as he continued approaching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah...you’re right...you just caught me off guard, y’know…” The man looked amused as he offered a hand to help the small girl up. Pidge hesitated but still reached for the hand. As she reached to grip his fingers, the hand moved out from under hers and grabbed the wide lens of her glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Give those back!!” Pidge shrieked, ignoring the bag that fell off her shoulders and lunging to yank them back. The man’s other hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, squeezing it in a painfully tight grip. His grin turned cruel as he looked over the squirming girl in his fist, the unnatural glint of her eyes entirely gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not one to pick fights with other vampires,” the man began, “But that isn’t what you are, is it…” He chuckled as Pidge continued to thrash. “Perhaps my plans can wait. I can’t say no to a new pet.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Question</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Keith let out a weak moan as he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling fan staring back at him. He felt weak and dizzy, content to stay under the warm weight of the blanket tossed over him. His head weighed down a thin decorative pillow as he body limply spread out on the small couch he had been laid across. He couldn’t recall a single thing that could have led him here. He didn't know where he was...or how he...oh no. Keith's eyes flung back open as that fact settled in. His chest constricted at the thought of being captured </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not to mention whatever danger he was in this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could sit up though, a paw reached up to rest on Keith’s chest; Kosmo was still there at his side. Looking past the wolf, his blade and shopping bag of sparse belongings were also on the nearby coffee table. Knowing his things were all still with him put him more at ease as he pet Kosmo's head and moved to sit up a bit more slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room he was in was...surprisingly quaint considering all the things he’d woken up in after falling unconscious. It looked like any middle class suburban living room, complete with old wooden furniture and a carpet that walked the tightrope of comfortably soft and horridly itchy. Keith rubbed at his eyes and huffed as he set his head back on his propped up knees. He felt so heavy and tired that the urge to explore the new location he ended up in didn’t translate into any energy to get up. At least, not for a few minutes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up when he heard a door click and creak open, immediately locking his attention onto a figure shuffling into the room from a hallway on the far end. It was a man, dressed in loose, wrinkled clothes with short, disheveled hair. Keith bristled on instinct and slowly reached for his blade, just in case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man made it a surprising distance across the room before he finally noticed the strange young man on his couch. He screamed, startled, and pressed himself against the nearest wall once he noticed the blade in Keith's fist. He felt along the wall for the first thing he could use a weapon, which happened to be an old, iron fire poker. Keith stood up from the couch clutching his knife and pointing it at the man as he raised the fire poker, threatening to hit him with it. “What are you doing in my house?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-How the hell should I know?!” Keith yelled, keeping his knife pointed at him. Kosmo growled, his hackles rising as he stood firmly in front of Keith to guard him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The standoff was tense but brief. The man gave Keith another once over, his expression softening just a bit as he slowly lowered the fire poker. “Kuro, I swear…” he huffed, exasperated, as he mumbled to himself. He looked to Keith as he turned back towards the hall he came from. “Stay here, I’ll be right back…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man stepped back into the dimly lit bedroom, crossing his arms as he stared down the figure still asleep and buried in the bedding. “Kuro.” The lump on the bed let out a faint groan, weary and barely awake. “Kuro, wake up,” the man said sternly, pushing on the other man’s shoulder. It didn’t move him much but it did make him stir a bit more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmh, hey baby…” Kuro mumbled as his head peered out from the heavy blankets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bout what?” Kuro rubbed at his eyes and smiled at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About the </span>
  <em>
    <span>stranger</span>
  </em>
  <span> that is currently on our couch and was pointing a knife at me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith huffed softly as he waited for the man to return, trying to listen in on the faint conversation in the other room, but he couldn’t make out much. Kosmo sat alert at his side, watching the doorway. After a few minutes the man emerged again, the hand of whoever he'd been talking to in his grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s good to see you up,” the new man grinned brightly at Keith, cheerful and sincere. Keith looked him over cautiously, noting the familiar broad features, the long black hair with unnatural white roots, and the eyes that looked so friendly but remained so inhuman. “Sorry we didn’t have time for introductions last night, you were pretty out of it.” Keith remained frozen as the man sat beside him, long fangs poking out of his wide grin. “My name is Ryou Shirogane, but you can just call me Kuro.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Keith heard that name, he felt his body sway and everything abruptly went black. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith slowly woke up again some time later, the same vampire sitting across from him in another chair, bouncing his leg anxiously. Keith's body only felt more heavy and cold as he tried to push himself upright. Kuro looked up at the soft groan and smiled with relief, "Curtis, he's up." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good timing," the man, apparently named Curtis, stepped back into the room from the small tiled kitchen, his arms full with a hot plate of pancakes and a tall glass of water. Without a word, Kuro stuck his leg out and pushed the coffee table closer to Keith with his foot just before Curtis set the food down. "Here, eat something before you pass out again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he was in any better condition, he would have put up at least a bit of a fight but, instead, Keith went along with things. He managed to fumble the fork into his hands, groaning softly as he cut up his food to take a bite. Curtis sat beside him, watching him closely to make sure he could manage chewing his food. After a few bites Keith began to perk up, eating steadily even as he eyed the vampire across the room nervously. The universe was really just pulling a cruel joke on him at this point, wasn’t it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feeling okay?” Curtis asked gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah...thanks…” Keith muttered. He looked between the two of them carefully, neither seemed outwardly malicious, but that didn’t mean he was safe. Kuro was a vampire all the same, and he doubted Curtis was unaware of that fact. Still, they didn’t know him at all; for once he had an advantage. With any luck he could get out before the vampire had a chance to sample him. All he needed to do was stay calm and play dumb. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what’s your name?” Curtis asked as he moved back into the kitchen briefly to grab his coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh...I...don’t remember…?” Okay, maybe that was too dumb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro seemed to stiffen, holding a hand to his mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I…” he sniffled and swiped at his eyes. “It was just so sad to find you out in the cold. I didn’t know you also had amnesia, you poor thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curtis sighed and patted Kuro’s back lightly before addressing the scruffy boy. “Then, I assume you don’t have much of a place to stay, do you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well- er…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh don’t be modest!” Kuro exclaimed, “You can stay as long as you need. We couldn’t possibly throw you out in the cold when you don’t even know where to go!” This felt uncomfortably familiar…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked to Kosmo, who set his snout on Keith’s hand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Warm… </span>
  </em>
  <span>He clearly understood Keith’s hesitance but he had a point. The wolf could always help him escape again if need be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, with a defeated huff, he relented. “I...guess I could stay for a little bit...thanks…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro’s face brightened, seemingly overjoyed that he could look after the human’s wellbeing for the moment. “I guess I’ll need to grab some more groceries tonight,” Curtis commented with a soft smile. He seemed more reluctant to have the guest than Kuro did but there was a reassurance that the kid wouldn’t be dead on the street within the week if he stayed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curtis turned to the small clock on the wall and let out a stressed sigh, "Look, I'm gonna be late if I don’t get moving. Can you take care of him, Kuro?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, have a good day at work.” Kuro stood up to briefly press a kiss to Curtis’s cheek before he let the man leave to dress and gather his things. A few minutes later, Curtis passed by Keith with his bag and car keys, properly dressed for his mundane office job. “Ah, sorry about the fire poker earlier. No hard feelings?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith shook his head and managed a smile up at him. “You were in the dark about it, I get it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curtis smiled back and continued on his way to the door. “I’ll be back tonight, just let Kuro know if you need anything.” With that Curtis shut the front door and Keith’s stomach abruptly dropped. He once again found himself sitting face to face with a vampire and no other human in sight. The universe really was cruel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything you need right now?” Kuro asked, “More food, a shower; does your little friend need anything?” Kuro offered his hand for Kosmo. After a minute Kosmo walked up to him and sniffed at his fingers, staring up at him in complete silence. Kuro stifled a laugh and looked back up as he patted Kosmo’s head. “He says you kinda smell, Keith…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith bristled, his hand squeezing the handle of his blade again as his throat went dry. “I-I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro only smiled, “Is that your name? It’s what he called you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You...can hear him too?” Keith briefly gave Kosmo a betrayed glare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! Assuming he wants to talk. Ah this is so cool! I’ve never seen a rift creature in person…” Kuro enthusiastically scritched at Kosmo’s long fur, which the wolf shamelessly indulged in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rift creature..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a rare phenomenon that comes from a botched attempt to teleport.” Kuro grabbed a notepad off the coffee table and started to scribble a crude diagram. “See, normally when you mess up a teleport spell, you either don’t go anywhere, or you end up somewhere closer to your destination but not exactly there.” He drew a few stick figures across a line to demonstrate. “But…” he drew another line, “If someone messes up badly enough they can simply disappear. Not at where they started or where they meant to end up.” He drew the next stick figure underneath the line, falling through the ground itself. “This is mostly theoretical, but someone who ends up in the rift is said to mutate from the amount of energy around them, but they also end up essentially trapped in this plane of existence separate from us…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked back to Kosmo, who gently nosed at his hand. “No wonder you stuck around me… You’re just thankful I pulled you out of there…” Keith gave him a solemn smile, which Kosmo promptly jumped up to lick. “You’re welcome, bud…” Keith giggled softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Kuro interrupted, “About that shower, yay or nay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...guess it couldn’t hurt,” Keith let Kosmo go and stood up, following Kuro down the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro opened the door to the small bathroom for him and stepped aside, “Towels are under the sink, I’ll see if I can find you some fresh clothes, kay?” Keith could only nod shyly as he stepped in and shut the door, locking it for good measure, even there were a good dozen or so ways the vampire could get in regardless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith shed his donation bin coats, stained white button up, muddy pants and objectively foul underwear, leaving them in a pile on the floor as climbed into the shower and pushed the curtain as flush with the wall as he could. He bit back a yelp as he turned on the shower head, letting the cold water wake him up a bit more as it slowly heated up. He kept the shower brief, lathering his hair and scrubbing the dirt off his body before letting the water push the bubbles down and into the drain. He shook his tangled hair out as he turned off the water and huffed, slipping back out and checking the cupboard under the sink for a fresh towel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough there was a stack of neatly folded towels, all in desaturated and bland colors. He grabbed the top one from the pile and dried the cooling water off his skin. He found his eyes drifting to the mirror, barely even fogged from the brief run of the hot water. He still felt his gut twist looking at the indented and discolored skin on his neck, the puncture wounds that no longer bled, but never healed. He looked from the reflection of his neck to his wrist. The painless bites from Shiro were already gone without a trace. What he felt looking at both wasn’t something he could properly articulate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith caught a flash behind him out of the corner of his eye and held the towel closer to his body as he turned around. Kosmo was there slowly wagging his tail as he held a grocery bag in his mouth. Keith took the bag from him and examined the clothes inside as the wolf disappeared again. A t-shirt, jeans, boxers, and socks. They all seemed just a bit oversized for his frame but they were at least clean. He dressed quickly and combed out his damp hair with his fingers before he finally left the bathroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro was on the couch when Keith returned to the living room, watching tv while he ate his own breakfast. He smiled as Keith approached, “Everything fit okay?” Keith hummed and nodded, very stiffly sitting down on the end of the couch. They sat in silence for a few minutes while Kuro flipped through channels before the vampire’s eyes trailed back to Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith was quick to notice the staring and back further against the armrest. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your neck...what happened?” Kuro asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith quickly pulled the collar of his shirt up against his neck to hide the unsightly bite. “I-It’s uh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another thing you don’t remember?” Kuro raised an eyebrow incredulously and Keith shrunk further away. “Will you at least let me see?” Kuro asked more gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed and reluctantly let go of the shirt, trying not to shake as he submissively forced himself to bare his neck. Kuro gently brushed his hair aside and examined the wound, a soft gasp of horror falling out of his mouth. He finally pulled away and let Keith hide it again. “You know what I am, don’t you…” Keith swallowed and could only bring himself to nod, not meeting Kuro's gaze. “And that’s why you tried to lie about your memory! You’re a blood pet…” Kuro seemed to grow more horrified with each realization. “Oh my god, I am so sorry. I should’ve realized why you were shying away from me.” Kuro moved off the couch to make sure he was in Keith’s line of sight as he stared at the carpet. “Keith, it’s okay. I’m not going to take you back to whoever hurt you. With bites like that, you had every right to escape.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith frowned, his chest growing tighter with every word. “I...escaped from your brother…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know Shiro..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...he didn’t do this though…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro let out a soft sigh, “That’s good, I wouldn’t know what to think if he ever scarred a pet like that. I’m not sure I’d recognize him at that point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a pet,” Keith stated firmly, finally looking back up. “I’m a human, and no one owns that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re scared of that, aren’t you...being that controlled.” Kuro set a hand on Keith’s head. “My brother’s a great guy, and I don’t doubt that he’s worrying about you right now but...you are right. You aren’t undeserving to make your own choices. Then again...is what you’re in now really what you want? Surviving alone on cold scraps?” he stood up with a soft sigh and glanced back to him. “I won’t do anything to keep you here, or anywhere. But there’s no point in making choices if they’re done without thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith simply watched him leave the room, no possible rebuttal on his tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro glanced up from his papers when a shrill chirp came from the air vents, the faint silhouette of an underling behind the grate. The underling's body oozed out from the gaps in the vent and continued to chirp at Shiro as it solidified again. Lance looked up as well, giving Shiro a concerned look. He never heard the underlings chirp that relentlessly. Shiro stood up and patted their head to show they had his attention. “There must be someone at the door…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? It’s almost dawn, were you expecting anybody?” Lance set his book down and stood up to follow him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not at all, I certainly wouldn’t plan for someone to come this late. It must be why the underlings are being so loud about it.” Lance kept pace with Shiro as he descended the stairs and the tiniest sliver of hope couldn’t help but worm into his head. What if it was Keith… The thought of seeing him again made his chest tight in anticipation, and although Shiro remained stoic, he could tell that buzz was in his chest as well. He wanted it to be Keith just as badly as he did, which only made it all sink a bit harder when Shiro opened the front door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Matt??” Matt was on the doorstep, panting with exertion, clutching a backpack to his chest as tried to pull himself back upright. Did he run all the way here? “What’s going on?” Shiro frowned with worry and led him inside, Lance pulling the door shut behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“P-Pidge...is she here?” Matt gasped out,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro felt his chest tighten further, “I...should she be..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt pushed away from Shiro’s arm and began to pace the foyer. “She said that she was going to come visit you on her own but I-I haven’t seen her in days, no one has! And then, th-this, I found her bag in the woods! Oh god, I’m really starting to freak out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro hushed him gently and guided Matt to the couch. “So she’s missing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah…” Matt swallowed back his anxious tears as he sat down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro rubbed his back supportively. “It’s okay, we’ll find her…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m sure she’s fine,” Lance responded, walking over to sit on Matt’s other side. “I mean, vampires are super strong, right? Even someone as tiny as her shouldn’t be able to get in too much trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance…” Shiro frowned, looking to Matt with an unsure gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt sighed, “Pidge...she isn’t a vampire…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait...what??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s human, Lance…my </span>
  <em>
    <span>adopted</span>
  </em>
  <span> human sister. We had a way of hiding it but, if she got exposed who knows what could’ve happened to her-” All three of them looked up when another noise came from outside the main door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another underling was chirping, loud and panicked.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The Hunted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The rest of the day was oddly quiet, Kuro spent much of it working on a computer; mentioning that not only did he have a job, but he had an actual engineering degree. “I’ve been living among humans for decades now. I do need to do a bit of document forging every now and again since I don’t appear to age but it’s been nice living like you do; quaint really,” he smiled sweetly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith spent the better half of the day on the couch, flipping through channels on the tv and trying to rest up. He really was worn ragged from the last week on his own so he’d take advantage of a plush surface to lay on, especially when Kuro himself was slipping away to nap quite frequently throughout the afternoon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curtis came back around 7pm, arms heavy with plastic bags. “Hey,” he peered over the couch to greet Keith. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith hummed, “Better…” he stood up with a bit of a wobble, his legs sore and stiff from the lack of use.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey baby…” Kuro hummed happily as he emerged from the bedroom yet again. He gave Curtis a passing kiss on the cheek and effortlessly stole some of the grocery bags from his arms. “Keith okayed pasta for dinner, you good with that?” He asked as he continued into the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, just let me get cleaned up.” Curtis called back before digging into one of the few bags he had left with him. “I got your friend a little something,” he smiled at Keith before crouching down to offer a small stuffed dog toy to Kosmo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kosmo sniffed it and looked back up at Curtis incredulously, he was far more intelligent than a standard puppy, it was almost insulting that he would think-! Curtis squeezed the toy and it squeaked. Kosmo’s focus was immediately back on the toy, ears perked high and tail wagging aggressively. Curtis puffed out a small laugh and tossed the toy to the other end of the room, letting the little wolf scramble after it. “I thought he could use something to play with,” he explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith laughed softly as Kosmo shook the toy around and pranced around the living room, squeaking it with his mouth. “Thanks, you didn’t have to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I also bought some dog food, not sure if he’ll want to eat it though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith shrugged, “He seems to like just about anything but he does prefer meat above everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In that case I’ll give him most of the meatballs,” Kuro called from the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith gave the kitchen entryway a side glance before turning back to Curtis. “Do you...think we can talk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curtis frowned softly but gestured towards the bedroom with his head. Keith stood up and followed him, shutting the door behind them as Curtis turned on a lamp in the dark room. “You’re still unsure about Kuro, right? Because he’s a vampire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- how’d you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curtis stifled a laugh, “What? You think I didn’t know what he was? He was almost excited to tell me when we met.” Curtis started unbuttoning his work shirt as he dug in his drawers for something more comfortable. As the shirt slipped off his shoulders, Keith could barely make out two small scabbed over dots on his neck. Curtis glanced back at him and quirked an eyebrow. “Dude.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith blinked and politely turned around. “Sorry, just noticed the bite...you let him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Course I do, wouldn’t want him getting rabies from trying to hunt something out there himself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does that really happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kuro told me it can. It’s why humans became prime targets in the first place, we can’t be born with it and, especially now, hardly anyone comes into contact with it.” Keith hummed and kept his eyes on the wall for as long as he could hear fabric shuffling around. “So, what did you need to talk about?” Curtis asked as sat on the foot of the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith turned back around and leaned against the wall with a sigh, “I just...why him? Why a </span>
  <em>
    <span>vampire</span>
  </em>
  <span>? You had to have known what you were getting into…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curtis sighed but smiled, “Easy, because I love him.” Keith seemed perplexed by the answer. “I know it’s weird but I really did fall for him. Yeah, the first time he asked if he could bite me, I was a little bit terrified. But it’s a pretty small price to know that he’s safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just...what if you loved him but you just...feel like it’s wrong to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it is wrong for you, then it’s wrong. But if you’re just expecting it to be wrong for everyone else, that’s not your problem.” Keith hummed softly and drifted his eye contact away from him. Curtis stood up and set a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Look, you’re going through a lot; that’s pretty obvious. The best you can do is find what will keep you happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith glanced back up at him for a moment. He didn’t quite smile but he did nod softly. “Okay, that’s all I needed to know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a flash, Kosmo appeared in the closed room, squeaking his new toy loudly and making the two men jump. “Dinner, you guys!” Kuro called from the kitchen as Curtis opened the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed, watching his breath flow out into the cold air and dissipate as he curled more into the oversized borrowed coat. It had been three days since Kuro brought him in. He’d been given free reign over the house so long as he cleaned up after himself. It had been peaceful, easy, but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Kuro called as he stepped outside, only wearing a thin hoodie despite the snow fluttering around them on the porch. “Getting some fresh air?” he asked, leaning against the railing beside Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I just needed to step outside for a bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stuff on your mind again?” Kuro bent down to pet Kosmo as he trotted up to him. Keith was silent for a minute as he stared out at the suburban street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to go back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro blinked, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith bit his lip before turning to face Kuro, confident and firm. “I want to go back to Shiro. I want to see him again. I want to see </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lance</span>
  </em>
  <span> again. I want to apologize and talk to them and...I want to be happy.” Keith's voice petered out meekly as his face flushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro smiled softly, reaching up to pat Keith’s head. “Say no more. We can leave right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Really? You'll take me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Absolutely! I haven't actually visited since I left home. I'm long overdue to see my brother again." Kuro gave him an eager smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're leaving, Keith?" Curtis asked as he peered out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah...I think it's about time I do," Keith nodded confidently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll have to be gone for a few days in order to take him though… Are you gonna be okay by yourself?" Kuro asked, walking up to cup Curtis's cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curtis smiled and pulled the hand off his face to kiss his palm. "Of course I'll miss you but I can last. Not sure your work would approve though."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was getting suspiciously old at that place anyway," Kuro smiled brightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, if you'll be gone for a while, take your fill while you can." Curtis tugged down the collar of his turtleneck and craned his head to the side to expose the skin on his neck to Kuro. Kuro eagerly nosed at his neck before pricking the skin with his fangs. Curtis shuddered as the cold teeth made him jolt, but he stayed still and pet Kuro's head while he had his drink. "That's all? I could spare a little bit more since I'm off tomorrow."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro sighed as he pulled away, "You know I can't ask you to do that," he hummed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Be safe out there you two," Curtis called to them as Kosmo teleported back inside, reappearing with Keith's things in a fresh plastic bag. Keith seemed genuinely impressed he managed to do that with only paws.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keith?" he looked up when Curtis called to him. "I hope you get what you're looking for. Don't be a stranger around here, okay?" he smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith smiled back before blinking. Realizing he was still wearing Curtis's coat, he slipped it off and tossed it back to him. "It was great to meet you Curtis, thanks…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll see you soon baby, I promise," Kuro peppered Curtis's face with kisses before finally forcing himself to step away towards the garage. Keith stared in awe as they approached Kuro's car, a massive, shiny black truck with tinted windows that looked just as new as the day it was made. Kuro opened the door and gave Keith a wave of his hand, "After you." Keith hauled himself inside and was immediately confused. The inside looked identical to Shiro's carriage, no driver's seat or anything that one would assume would be there given the shape of the exterior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Like it? I got pretty good at cloaking this thing." Kuro beamed proudly and stepped in with him, sitting down on the seat across from him. Kosmo settled at Keith's side, curling up with his toy held under his front paws. Keith yawned as the carriage rocked and started to move, blankly staring out at the cold, dreary landscape. "You can sleep if you want. It'll be a long trip, even going nonstop will take us a whole day." Keith nodded and slumped against the wall, letting his eyes fall shut.</span>
</p><p>------------</p><p>
  <span>Keith slept for most of the trip, the quiet stops for food and letting Kuro regain his energy to move the carriage were all a blur in the gloomy sky blotted out with clouds. Before he knew it, he felt a shift, a feeling like he was in an unknown, dark corner of the world yet again. He never would have thought the feeling would be somewhat welcoming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not long now…" Kuro rubbed his eyes wearily but still kept a wide smile as they rode along the familiar path through the woods. Keith looked out over the manor as the gate opened for them, his chest wanted to twist and contort but he reassured himself; he wanted Lance and Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wow, looks just like I remember…" Kuro muttered wistfully. "You ready?" Keith nodded, finding Kuro's eager grin a bit infectious. Keith opened the door, shivering a bit at the cold breeze as he stepped out. Kosmo trotted at his side and Kuro took the lead up to the main doors. But then he stopped, his smile fading.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait...something isn't right…" Kuro frowned and approached the door, eying the two underlings that sat on decorative stone perches above the porch. One raised its head as Kuro approached and hissed loudly, it's body scrunching defensively as the other quickly did the same. "Whoa whoa, guys! It's me, it's Ryou…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith jumped as the underlings crawled down the pillars on all fours, hissing and snapping at the two of them. Kuro crouched down as they approached gently outstretching his hand as they spat and swatted at him. Kuro stayed calm as they slowly approached and nudged at his fingers, appearing to sniff him. After a moment, one of them let out a soft churr, standing upright to hold onto his hand. Kuro smiled and scritched the other one with his other hand as they chirped softly in an attempt to apologize. “There you go, it’s all okay…” Kuro hummed and smiled at them as they nuzzled his hands before walking up to Keith to apologize as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re not usually this worked up,” Kuro commented as Keith awkwardly patted their heads. “I’m getting worried…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith frowned and gently shooed the underlings off as he approached the door. “Well, we’re not going to figure it out standing out here.” Keith pushed the heavy front doors open, Kosmo and Kuro following behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The manor was darker than Keith remembered, no candles softly glowing along the walls, no soft twinkle from the chandelier in the foyer. He only understood why when he felt a crunch under his feet. The foyer was practically destroyed. The glass bubbles around the candles were shattered, the chandelier had fallen into the coffee table and most of the furniture was ripped or toppled over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro choked back a gasp as he looked over the destroyed room as several timid underlings were slowly sweeping up the mess. Keith stepped over the remains of broken glass on the floor and ran into the hallway towards the stairway. “Lance?? Shiro?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith, hold on!” Kuro ran after him; they didn’t know if any threats were still in the house. As Keith turned towards the stairs he felt an invisible force pull him towards the open basement door. He yelped as the force knocked him off his feet and he was flung into the darkness. Kuro ran after him before quickly coming to a stop as he looked over the scene on the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shiro..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up, catching the glow of Shiro’s eyes in the dim light. He felt Shiro’s arms wrap tight around him as he pushed his face into the crook of his neck, breathing heavily into his skin. “Keith, I...god, you’re actually here…” Shiro choked out, keeping Keith held tight to his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith frowned and reached up to hold onto his shirt. “I’m sorry I ever left…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro smiled fondly at the scene, “What’s that saying? If you love something and let it go, it’s really yours if it comes back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked up, his face flushing as he finally noticed the other person with them. “Ryou..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro awkwardly pushed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “Long time no see, Takashi…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro grinned and finally let go of Keith to climb the few steps to meet his brother and embrace him. "It's so good to see you…" Kuro smiled and matched Shiro's rib-crushing hug, giving him a few pats on the back for good measure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro, what happened to this place?" Keith asked, frowning as he looked over Shiro's wild hair and distressed eyes. "What happened to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro?? What's going on?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another figure ascended the stairs, Keith turned back as he saw Matt approaching them, looking equally distressed. "Whoa, Keith. Never expected to see you come back…" Matt commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We should move this conversation elsewhere…" Shiro sighed as he looked everyone over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait," Keith gently gripped the end of Shiro's untucked shirt. "Shiro...where's Lance?" The stone stairwell seemed to grow even colder the longer it took for Shiro to respond. Unfortunately, the answer he got was worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keith, are you familiar with a vampire named Sendak?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh? Now what?" Lance commented as another shrill chirp came from outside, followed by a loud knock on the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro shushed him gently, his face growing stern to hide his emotions. "Lance, you should go back to your room."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What? But Shiro-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"To. Your room. Lance. Don't come back until I come to get you…" Shiro ordered. Lance awkwardly glanced to Matt as the pounding on the door got louder and he reluctantly slipped back upstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Lance was out of sight, Shiro took a breath and opened the door. "Sendak...what brings you here?" Shiro said with thinly veiled pleasantness in his voice. Matt scrunched further against the arm of the couch, glaring suspiciously as Sendak pushed Shiro aside and let himself in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have important matters to discuss with you, regarding your pets." Sendak gave Matt an equal look of disgust as he paced the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't say I follow you." Shiro replied, calm but on guard. He made his way towards one of the vents in the room, tapping it, seemingly idly, as Sendak continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You see, it's come to my attention that there may be some foul play at work. You know I don't take to thieves lightly."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An underling came to the vent, tilting its head silently and waiting for Shiro's request. The exchange was silent, Shiro hardly blinked before it understood and left. "Thieves? I can assure you, you've lost me Sendak."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A misunderstanding, perhaps? I doubt it, I'm sure you've seen my claim on him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro felt his fingers curling into a fist but he kept his voice calm. "I told you, I'm not familiar with any of your pets, Sendak."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Now I know that's a lie," Sendak growled. "You were the one carrying that little brat out, along with your other little nuisance of a human. How odd that so many seem to flock to you without you apparently knowing anything. Or do you really think you're clever enough to hide this from me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt noticed a glint in Sendak's pocket as he passed, a round glass lens and wire framing catching the light of the lanterns surrounding them. Before Shiro could dodge the question, Matt leapt onto Sendak's back, hissing and clawing at him as he attempted to pull the larger vampire to the floor. Sendak effortlessly grabbed Matt's arm and flipped him over his front, growling at the light sting of the injuries as he threw Matt to the floor. Matt winced as he hit the ground but still snarled as he got back to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Matt, what-?!" Shiro exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was you, I know it! Where's my sister!!!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak huffed, annoyed but slightly amused, “Even for filth like you to consider yourselves equals, it’s pathetic…” Sendak held his hand out towards Matt as he staggered back to his feet. “Now be quiet, will you?” Shiro stared in horror as the air was choked out of Matt’s throat, leaving only his quiet gasping as he was left only barely able to breathe, at the mercy of Sendak’s clenched hand, even several feet away. “Now, where were we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance looked up from his anxious staring at the floor when he heard the door to the pet room open, Hunk looking nervous and a bit frantic. “Hunk, what’s wrong??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. I </span>
  <b>don’t</b>
  <span> know but Shiro told the underlings, to tell me, I needed to keep you safe.” Hunk rambled as he locked the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep me </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe? </span>
  </em>
  <span>What is going on down there??” Hunk shushed him as he nervously peered out the window. There was nothing out there or at the door...for now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro narrowed his eyes, his jaw stiffening. “Unfortunately...I had an incident lately with one of my pets. Keith escaped; days ago, in fact. I doubt you could ever find him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak growled softly under his breath but he kept himself calm. “Relax, Shirogane. Despite your incompetence, I am willing to make a deal for the negligent loss of my property. Your other blood bag will do nicely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro felt something snap inside him when he realized Sendak’s intent. He wasn’t leaving empty handed regardless of what was here and what wasn’t. “I know better than to deal with you. Lance isn’t yours to take!” Shiro growled as he swung his fist towards Sendak’s face. Matt coughed as the invisible grip on his windpipe released, Sendak neglecting the spell in order to block Shiro’s punch. Sendak retaliated with a hit to Shiro’s gut knocking him away into one of the bookshelves lining the wall. Matt was quick to get up again, supporting Shiro with his arm to keep him on his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out, Sendak! It’s not my fault Keith managed to get away from you.” Shiro held out his hand, sending a force against Sendak to try and push him out the door. Sendak planted his feet and managed to launch himself back towards Shiro, spiking the back of his head and throwing him to the floor. Matt dove up out of the way of another hit from Sendak, staying in the air before sticking back down at the back of his knee in an attempt to cripple his legs. Sendak roared in pain but still lunged himself at Matt, biting into his side with as much force as possible. Matt cried out, wrenching himself away despite it causing only more pain and opened up a much larger wound. Sendak spit the blood out of his mouth in disgust and lunged for him again. Matt froze up, only having the strength to shield his face as a loud crash filled the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked up as he finally got his head to stop spinning, the chandelier hanging from the ceiling was now a pile of twisted metal and broken glass, pinning Sendak and the now snapped wooden coffee table to the floor. On top of the wreckage were two of the underlings, chirping proudly as they hopped off, approaching Shiro and Matt to tend to them. Shiro smiled briefly at them as he stood up and approached Sendak. “I gave you a chance, Sendak…” Shiro glared as he conquered a flame between his fingers. “Leave, or you won’t see outside this room again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak huffed, smug even as he struggled to move. “You don’t have the nerve to kill me, pet fucker. Even so…” Sendak glanced down at the underlings, silently taunting him from only a few inches away. “It’s not over until something stops moving.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a flash, Sendak lunged his hand out of the wreckage, grabbing one of the underlings by their bulbous, shelled head. The underling squealed in fear, and before Shiro could stop it, the shell cracked, split, and crumbled as Sendak crushed the small one’s skull in his palm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro froze in horror, taking stiff steps back as the small body of the underling destabilized into a puddle of black ooze on the floor. “What the hell did you just do…” he choked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak smirked, “Enough to win.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All was quiet for only a moment, until a faint gurgling noise came from the remains of the underling. Matt coward behind Shiro as the black substance on the floor began moving again, twisting and rising into a larger, ganglier creature. It shrieked at Shiro, lunging to swipe at him with massive, sharp talons. Shiro rolled into a dodge, head still woozy from the rough hit to his head. The underling was unrelenting, diving for him again as it’s jaw unhinged, tearing a large portion of the couch apart as Shiro continued to defend, rapidly trying to think of a better contingency plan than just killing the poor thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak simply watched for a moment before gathering a condensed ball of energy in his hand. He released it by the chandelier, shattering the remains just enough to pull himself out. “Stop!!” Shiro yelled as the underling grabbed the collar of his shirt, throwing Shiro even farther away as Sendak calmly walked towards the staircase. “Matt, you need to stop him. He can’t get Lance!” Shiro bit back a yelp as the underling’s claws caught his leg. Matt nodded to him, scared but determined as he ran after Sendak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro continued to dance around the increasingly destroyed foyer, he threw up shields and ducked behind every piece of furniture, as his mind raced with some way to get them to stop. He glanced down as his feet crunched on the glass and crystal lining the carpet, and his resolve steadied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The underling took another lunge at him, like a starving animal and Shiro jumped, keeping himself in the air until he cleared it and the remains of the chandelier. The underling whipped around and hissed, charging him again as Shiro dug his nails into the floor. The shards around the underling’s feet suddenly moved, elongating into sharp spears that pierced one of it’s front and back ankles completely through. The underling roared in pain and hopelessly struggled against the agonizing restraints as Shiro tried to breathe</span>
</p><p>
  <span>”I-it’s okay...It’s okay, I know this isn’t your fault…” he spoke, grabbing a pen out of his pocket as he slowly approached. The symbol was messy as he drew it on his forearm but it was correct. “I’m so sorry...I just need you to rest for now- !!” Shiro winced as his outstretched arm was promptly bitten into.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment the underling retracted, almost disgusted or frightened. "I release you from my servitude, demon. You served me well but it...it's time to go…" The underling stopped growling, stopped struggling, and slowly began to return to a lifeless puddle. Shiro looked to the, now bloodied, release spell drawn on his arm. Part of him thought it had known to bite right there, knowing their master’s commands on instinct. Shiro had to swat a tear from his eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A shrill scream from the upper floors took Shiro out of his somber trance. “Oh no, Lance!” Shiro scrambled out of the room and down the hallway. He could only hope that Matt was able to-!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shlap!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro’s body looked up as a figure just passed his vision. All of it happening just too quickly for his arms to catch them as he approached the staircase, having fallen from four floors up. The force of the body splintered the wood floor below it, creaking as they twitched their broken limbs. “Hunk!!” Shiro rushed to his side and frantically tried to assess his wounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk bit back a whimper at the pain, his breaths shallow and mixed with whimpers. “Sh-Shiro...I’m so sorry, I-I tried, I-” Hunk grit his teeth and hissed through the pain as the gashes littering his body stained the floor with blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He isn’t..!” Shiro couldn’t bring himself to say it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk gave him a solemn look, “Lance is gone…”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. The Pit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance shrieked as a large, foreign hand clutched the back of his neck, yanking him out from the safety of Hunk and Matt's protection. Hunk made one desperate leap to snatch him back but, with only a flick of his wrist, Hunk was thrown right through the wall of the room. If it weren't for all his screaming and struggling, he might have noticed that he didn't hear Hunk hit the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance heard the sharp crash of breaking glass instead, his face immediately stung with the freezing, whipping winds from outside. He could only watch Matt stare in horror as he and Sendak plummeted out of the window. Lance screamed again as his stomach dropped, almost thinking they were actually going to hit the ground at this speed until Sendak abruptly slowed their descent, landing perfectly calm on his feet just outside the gates of the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Lance realized he was much closer to the ground, he promptly began squirming again. "Ngh! Ah! Let me go! Shiro! Help!!" Sendak growled as he had to adjust his hold on Lance to keep him from getting away. Lance growled back at Sendak as he ended up flipped upside down in his grip. He threw a kick as hard as he could to the vampire's face but he didn't even flinch. Sendak only responded by dumping him unceremoniously into the back of his carriage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance made a move to run out again but Sendak's arm clotheslined him and threw back down onto the floor. Lance wheezed in pain, wincing more as Sendak took his wrists in an uncomfortably tight grip. He locked heavy cuffs to each of his arms, the weight of the iron made it hard to even lift them, not to mention the thick chain secured to the floor of the carriage. Lance's stomach flipped as he looked back up at Sendak, realizing there's no hope of being rescued before Sendak took him away. "What do you want with me?" Lance snapped, trying to force a fierce glare despite the tremble in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That sad excuse for a vampire is a thief. You're merely the debt being collected." Sendak replied, cold but with a twist of sadistic joy in the undertones of his voice. It made Lance shudder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ride felt like it was too long, Lance only able to hopelessly stare out the back, watching Shiro grow farther and farther away until he couldn't see the top spire of the castle anymore. He eventually had to lie down, unable to take the pain of holding his shackled wrists even an inch off the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sendak stopped the carriage and stepped out, Lance quickly tried to recover his rapidly deteriorating image of strength. Unfortunately, Sendak looked pleased at how broken he already was. The irritated eyes, quivering lip, and traces of his tears weren't easy to miss. They painted a clear picture to both of them that Lance would not be enough bite to live up to any bark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak locked a smaller pair of chains onto Lance's already straining wrists before he finally unlocked the first pair. Lance cried out as the heavy chain hit his knee as it fell off, wincing as he was dragged out and put on his feet. "Walk," Sendak demanded, despite his trembling, unstable, and bruised legs. Lance stood there for a moment, eyes darting for some way to run off and escape. The quick look took too long for Sendak's taste and for that Lance received a violent shove forward towards the massive estate. Lance stumbled and his injured leg buckled, throwing him into the dirt. He hissed in pain as he accrued more scrapes and bruises. "I said, walk."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance bit back a whimper as he shakily got to his feet again, Sendak's hand holding him possessively by the back of the neck as he reluctantly shuffled forward. As much as he didn't want to admit it, this place did seem more luxurious than Shiro's. The color scheme was all red and maroon, dozens of paintings and artifacts littered the halls as well as what few rooms he managed to peer into as Sendak shoved him along. It was darker though, less lights to accommodate for freely wandering humans, no warm smiles to greet him from the staff as they descended a tight set of stairs, and certainly no warm bed to greet him at the bottom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the bottom of the stairwell was a room that didn't have much in general. It appeared to be storage for some of Sendak's equipment and art collection, everything covered in tarps and dust. Lance frowned, it wasn't good, but he could make the best of it. Unfortunately, that small glimmer of hope came from the assumption that </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the room he'd be staying in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak shoved him forward again until he was standing before a wooden hatch in the middle of the floor. Sendak produced a key from his pocket, releasing the lock with a click. He opened the hatch, revealing a small wooden stairway that led into absolute darkness. Lance gulped and shakily set his feet on the stairs before he got shoved down them. It took a miracle for him not to fall and break his neck on the stone floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His chest tightened with each creak of the stairs, knowing the louder sounds were coming from the behemoth vampire right behind him. He finally got to the bottom and squinted, trying to see in the low light. The room reeked of dirt and old blood, among other things Lance would rather not think about. He heard hushed whispers and shuffling just ahead of him, and that's when he saw it. More than a dozen other humans, all huddled against either the wall or one another, dressed in only dirty, tattered shirts and thin shorts, secured behind rusty metal bars that spanned the entire back of the room. They all stared at him, giving him grim looks as Sendak grabbed Lance's wrist. It was then that some firmly looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance gasped as he felt Sendak's claws prick his skin before he firmly grabbed the cuff of his shirt and pulled. He ripped the fabric apart, following the seam up to his shoulder before doing the same to the other side, yanking at Lance's arm more forcefully as he tried to squirm away. He tore the back and finally divested Lance of the ruined shirt. Lance brought his hands to his chest, wincing as the cold metal of his cuffs grazed his bare skin. He squeezed his eyes shut, he knew what was coming next as soon as Sendak grabbed the back of his pants. His face burned, he couldn't tell if anyone was looking but the thought alone humiliated him to his core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he was fully exposed he felt Sendak unlocked the cuffs before roughly shoving him over to the wall. He fell against it, staring down at the drain in the floor as Sendak yanked off his shoes and socks for good measure. Lance actually screamed when the water hit him, a fast and heavy spray of freezing water soaking him instantly. He curled against the wall, trying to shield himself even as Sendak grabbed his wrists and ankles to twist him around, making sure every spec of filth was power-washed off his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance whimpered as the hose finally turned off, his skin flushing from the chill. "S-Stop...no more…" he hiccupped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt Sendak's hand cup his throat and raise him up on his knees as the vampire loomed over him. "You should learn not to use that word with me," Sendak growled before he bit down into the base of his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance choked out a cry, the pain was so intense he could barely process it. His entire shoulder was encompassed with sharp teeth digging deep into his flesh. All Lance could do was breathe and pray this was all just a nightmare. Lance's hands started to grow numb as Sendak finally let him go, opening the door into the cage and haphazardly tossing Lance inside, along with a change of clothes, identical to what the other pets wore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance just laid there for a moment, trying silently to will away all the pain he was in as blood oozed out of his newest wound. He flinched as another hand touched his shoulder until he realized it was much smaller. "Come on, sit up…" a young woman with long blonde hair helped Lance upright, pushing his designated shirt over his head to help him dress. "It's okay, we've all gone through the same thing…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance whimpered again but managed to shift around enough to pull the pair of shorts on as well. The woman directed him to lay against the far wall, another small figure shuffling up to him in the dark. "Lance??"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Pidge?!" Lance looked to his side and, sure enough, Pidge was sitting right there, disheveled and without her glasses. No unnatural glint came to her eye either. She really was human… "Pidge, oh my god! Your brother’s been worried sick. He was looking everywhere for you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge frowned and leaned against him, “Your sister has been too…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You...you’ve heard from my family..?” his question was barely above a whisper, shocked but hopeful that he didn’t somehow understand that incorrectly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I ended up in contact with her and...that’s what she wanted you to know.” Pidge muttered. Lance bit his lip and struggled not to cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Here, you should get your blood sugar back up." Lance looked to where the blonde woman was approaching him, some form of gruel held delicately in the cup of an old ladle. "It's not great but they aren't exactly coming to bring us fresh fruits and nice cheeses any minute now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nodded and took a sip from the ladle by her direction. “Don’t spit it out,” the woman commanded before the taste was even on his tongue. His first reflex once it did </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> to spit it out but he held down his gag reflex enough to swallow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What the hell is this stuff?" Lance coughed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure ‘I don’t know’ isn’t the answer you want to hear but all we know is that this is what they give us as food. One bucket of food and one of water that we all need to share and they change out while we’re asleep,” the woman explained. Lance glanced over towards the far corner of the cell, sure enough there were two buckets, one of the others taking a drink from the water. “I know, it’s disgusting to think about but it’s not like he cares if we die in this cell…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks anyway, uh…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I'm Nyma."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no no no no! You can’t be serious!” Keith yelled as he stood up from the kitchen table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith, why the hell would we lie about that??” Matt glared, wincing as he shifted his bruises around. Shiro promptly set a hand on Matt’s shoulder to keep him from raising his voice at Keith, it was clear he was struggling to process everything they told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the hell wouldn’t you try to save them yet?! Lance and Pidge are dying in there! Being in that place is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone and you’re not doing anything!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gently ushered Keith back onto the seat, pulling him close to comfort him. “We can’t just stroll in like Sendak did to us. If he had any other goal other than to take one of my pets, he would have killed all of us. Hunk is only barely starting to recover from what he did to him for defending Lance.” Shiro sighed, clearly stressed, “If we were the ones trespassing we’d be slaughtered, and what hope would Lance and Pidge have then?” Keith frowned and leaned into Shiro’s gentle touch, relenting quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith… is Sendak the one that did all that to you..?” Kuro asked, clearly horrified at the potential of hearing a yes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah...and now we need to get them back.” Keith looked back up, quieter but his face tightened with determination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro sighed and nodded in agreement, “We can’t rush in, noted. Any other plans we can try, Shiro?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We?” Shiro questioned. “You want to help, Ryou?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do. You lost your pet to the biggest creep I’ve ever known, Takashi. My reserve on power isn’t very big after the trip here but you deserve all the extra hands you can get.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled warmly at him, “I’m really glad you’re here. I missed you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro grinned back before returning to the topic at hand. "So, about saving those pets."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sendak does have another social event planned this week. That would at least leave the main doors open for us," Shiro explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You really think he'd let you in after this?" Keith questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, absolutely not. I wasn't even given an invitation last month…" Shiro started to smirk, "But I know someone who did."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kosmo sat on the floor of Shiro’s bedroom staring up at Matt as he leaned against Shiro's bed post. "Keith, it's staring at me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So?" Keith shrugged as he peeked into one of Shiro's desk drawers. "Not here either, Shiro."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I remember you being more organized than this, Takashi," Kuro commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I am!" Shiro whined, "I just lost track of it. I use this thing a lot, you know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keith, what does he want?" Matt pressed as Kosmo inched closer, his tail wagging expectantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know. If he wants something he usually just says so."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh yeah, he talks all the time, just ask him." Kuro mentioned as he scanned through Shiro's closet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt raised a skeptical eyebrow at Kosmo as he raised a paw to nudge against his leg. "Okay, Kosmo...is there something you want from me..?" Kosmo stared up at him for a moment before standing up on his hind legs, using Matt for balance as he nudged his snout under Matt's hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Scritches. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Matt jumped a bit at the sensation in his head but he did as the wolf asked, petting through his fur and scratching behind his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro, is this it?" Keith asked as he picked up a glass orb, a bit bigger than his palm that he found tucked beside the dresser.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, Keith thank you!" Shiro beamed and carefully took it from him, setting it on a small wire stand on his desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So, what is this for anyway?" Keith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We use these to quickly communicate long distance. It's a magic user's phone, basically," Kuro explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Let's hope she picks up…" Shiro set his fingers over the orb, sitting quiet and still as he focused on establishing a connection on the other end. After a moment it began to softly glow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro??"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt perked up and quickly joined them around the desk, "Allura!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Matt, you're there as well?" Allura asked. "It's good to hear from you both but can I ask why you called?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This may seem like a strange request," Shiro answered, "You and your father are attending Sendak's dinner party this weekend, right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, why do you ask?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I need you not to attend."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?? Shiro, I know you have your issues with Sendak, but my family is still quite close with him. Why would you ask me that?" Allura questioned; she didn't raise her voice but she still sounded displeased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Allura, please! It's important," Matt begged, staring down the orb with puppy eyes even though Allura couldn't see them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why exactly do you need me away from the party? I didn't think it would be relevant to you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt bit his lip, it wasn't wise to risk revealing what they planned to do, even to her. "I just...I have a feeling things are going to get kinda hairy at this party. I wouldn't want you or your father getting hurt, Allura…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence on the other end for some time. "I...suppose I could try to stall leaving on time. Father won't be happy about that though…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Anything you can do would help, Allura," Shiro smiled, calm and grateful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, a-and...um...maybe I can help make it up to you by uh...taking you to dinner sometime? Maybe?" Matt stammered as his cheeks flushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura chuckled, soft and sweet, on the other end. "I'll hold you to that deal. Just...whatever you're scheming, please be careful you two…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We will, thank you, Allura…" Shiro ended the call and sighed. "Good, I think we can go forward with this plan now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think so?” Keith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have three days before the party. We’ll take that time to heal and prepare for any problems. I won’t let Lance stay there any longer than he has too…” Shiro sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro set a sympathetic hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “You look exhausted, Takashi. Besides, it’s almost morning. Maybe it would be best if all of us got some sleep.” Keith grimaced but nodded in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your room is still where it used to be, Kuro. A bit empty but it has a bed for you,” Shiro offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks...I should go lie down…” Kuro yawned as he noticed himself starting to sway on his feet. He staggered out of the room and down the stairs to the third floor guest rooms. As he approached his old door, he noticed one of the underlings in the same hall. They were weary and struggling to hold up the plate of food they were carrying as they shuffled across the carpet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me get that for you, little guy.” Kuro gently picked up the plate and smiled down at the underling, who gave him a thankful bow in return. It walked with much more energy in it’s steps and gestured towards the room they were taking it to, a soft groan coming from the other side of the door. Kuro nudged it open and just barely managed to hold in his shock. “Hunk??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk glanced up from his place in bed, his face pale and eyes unfocused. He almost had Shiro’s name on his tongue until he noticed the lack of scars and fancy clothes. “Kuro…” Hunk smiled warmly, “I barely recognize you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro smiled back and slipped into the room, gingerly setting the plate of food for him on the nightstand. “You’ve looked better, but I am glad to see you’re alive. I heard about what happened with Sendak the other day…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Hunk frowned, wincing as he slowly sat up against his pillows. “I can’t believe I couldn’t protect Lance…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro sat beside him and sighed. “I’m sure you did what you could. Keith and I are gonna help fix it though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith is back??” Hunk gave him a wide, relieved smile. “I’m glad he’s okay… I’m glad you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro smiled and offered the fork on the plate to him. “You need help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Most of the problems are in my legs. I can eat just fine…” Hunk plucked the fork from his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was good to see you, Hunk. I’ll be across the hall if you need anything, okay? I’m a bit worn down myself…” Kuro rubbed his eye with a drowsy smile and stood back up, the underling standing beside him in case he fell over, as if it could somehow hold him up if he did. Thankfully it didn’t come to that and Kuro made it to his old room without issue. He sighed as he looked over the bare walls and perfectly made guest bed. Even with everything stripped and cleaned, it still gave him the warm feeling of home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith shivered as he tentatively stepped into his room, ignoring the door in favor of the broken wall currently stabilized with temporary supports. Every remaining underling was wearily shuffling around, still cleaning the mess and trying to cover the shattered window to keep the falling snow out. An underling was quick to scamper over and try to wave him away from the scene to keep him from getting injured. Keith frowned and awkwardly tried to step over them. “I uh...I just need my stuff. Mmh...can I just get a change of clothes?” Keith huffed as more of them began trying to nudge him out of the room entirely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro chuckled softly from the hallway before poking his head in. “He just needs some pajamas, guys. Can one of you fetch a pair?” One of the underlings, currently dragging a broom around to clean up the broken glass, briefly abandoned their work to dig through Keith’s dresser. They brought back a neatly folded set of Keith’s cotton pajamas, holding them up proudly for Keith to take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith smiled, and picked up the offered clothes; in a weird way, he did miss these little guys. “Thanks…” He turned back to Shiro with a soft frown, holding the pajamas to his chest. “Guess my old bed is out of the question…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro offered a gentle smile as he led him back out of the hole in the wall. “You can stay with me if you’d like. I...wouldn’t mind having that reminder that you’re really back…” Shiro flushed a bit as he spoke, shuffling awkwardly back towards his room. Keith felt his face warm up as well as he followed him back in. He lingered in the doorway until he felt something furry nudge at his ankles. Keith gave Kosmo a look, squeaking as he almost fell from another headbutt from the wolf.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shiro.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith’s face only burned more as he reluctantly stepped inside. He knew what Kosmo was pressing him on, he didn’t need him to pester him further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll let you go change and clean up,” Shiro said as he directed Keith towards the bathroom. Keith only managed to nod and flee into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Once he came back, Shiro was already changed, lounging in bed and rubbing Kosmo’s belly as the wolf sprawled out across his lap. He chuckled softly, “This little guy is just precious, Keith. I’m sure he’ll have no trouble settling in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith smiled softly and shuffled towards the bed. “You really don’t mind that I brought him with..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m partial to cats, but I can’t say no to a face like that.” Shiro giggled and squeezed at Kosmo’s cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed softly, “Shiro, I-I…” his throat started to tighten, he wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come here, Keith…” Shiro gently guided Keith to the bed, pulling him into his arms. He felt a sense of relief fully wash over him as he held Keith in his arms again, clean and unharmed, if a bit tense. He managed to keep his eyes dry, but he had to shut them for a while. “I know you’re worried about Lance...but we’ll get him back; I promise we will.” Shiro rested his face in Keith’s shower damp hair, smiling at the faint scent of his own shampoo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just…” Keith frowned, curling up as he rested in Shiro’s lap. He flinched a bit, losing whatever he was trying to say when he felt Shiro’s lips purse against his scalp. All he could do was sit there with his mouth agape and his face flushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro chuckled softly and gently tapped the bottom of this limp jaw with his hand to get him to close his mouth. “Was that too much, Keith?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” Keith found himself sinking more against Shiro’s chest, hiding his flushed face against his shoulder. “Can we just get some sleep..?” Shiro smiled and hummed in agreement, rolling over to lay Keith on the mattress. He could tell Keith was getting overwhelmed, but it was progress. Keith sighed as he squirmed under the blankets and let sleep claim his body. Shiro couldn’t help the smirk that grew across his face as he watched Keith’s body relax and fall into dreams.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Love…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro glanced back at Kosmo as the wolf shifted and curled up in the gap between the two of them. He reached out and gave him one last pet on the head. “Yeah...I really do…”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The Infiltration</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Shiro?" Keith asked, tentatively.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mhmm?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know I'd do anything to get Lance back, but uh…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is this seriously the plan?" Keith grimaced as he looked himself over in the mirror, Shiro having stuck him in a long blue dress, clearly a pet dress with it's low cut and thin fabric.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This isn't the entire plan, if that's what you're worried about. Now hold still." Keith wheezed as the dress tightened, thankfully letting up slightly before the dress was fully secured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How is me being in a dress going to help things?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, c'mon Keith. It's actually kinda cool," Matt posed dramatically against the doorframe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm surprised you got that to fit properly, Matt," Kuro commented, smiling fondly, "Our mother wasn't exactly a short woman."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Those are your mom's clothes..?" Keith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, it's the only collection of dresses I have that aren't clearly meant for pets." Shiro shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hm? Keith, what is it?" Shiro frowned, picking up on Keith's further dip in mood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was just...just thinking about my own mom…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh? Did she wear things like this?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No. Well, maybe… I don't know. I never met her." Keith picked up his blade off the vanity and turned it over in his hand. "This is the only thing she left behind for me, before I was even old enough to remember what she looked like…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro frowned and gently pulled him backwards into a hug. "Oh Keith, I'm so sorry… You can talk about it, if you'd like."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith leaned into Shiro's touch, "No...I'm okay. Let's go get Lance." He looked up at him, determined and unafraid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, this next part will probably feel strange…" Shiro looked towards the book open on top of his dresser. "Just keep still…" Shiro held a hand out in front of Keith as he stood there obediently. A faint sensation of warmth trailed it's way up Keith's body. It tickled his skin and seemed to squirm it's way into his throat. The sensation was strange to say the least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warmth finally subsided as Shiro put his hand back down. "Now don't freak out," he said calmly, "Just remember this is all perception-based magic." Shiro grabbed Keith's shoulders, turning him around to face the mirror. The person that stared back at him, was not Keith. It was Romelle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith yelped at his appearance before promptly covering his mouth, he even sounded like her too. "Keith, it's okay." Shiro squeezed Keith's shoulders reassuringly. "It's all fake, you didn't actually get turned into a woman."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith ran his fingers through his, now blonde, hair; his hand only grasping air past his shoulders, even though the hair continued to his lower back. He sighed, still uncomfortable with the feminine chirp in his throat. "Okay...I'm okay. This is just...weird…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're telling me…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith glanced back over in Matt's direction only to see Allura in his place, wearing the same dre- oh yeah.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How's it look, Shiro?" Kuro asked as he stepped away from his handiwork.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Perfect, this should work. Just give me one moment…" Shiro let go of Keith and stared himself down in the mirror. Focusing as he shifted himself. Keith thought the shift would be more gradual, but he only blinked and when his eyes opened again, a different man stood where Shiro had been. He could only assume he was copying Allura's father. "Since the clothing is real, the spells should last long enough for us to get into the party and slip away to find Lance and Pidge." Shiro explained, his voice sounding gruffer and older.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith glanced back at Kuro, still dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. "What about you, Kuro?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll be the lookout, remember? I'll be outside waiting for the actual Allura to show up so I can let you all know when to bail."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, I think we're ready…" Shiro sighed and steeled himself as he led the group out to the carriage. He opened the door and Kosmo was already sitting politely on the seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You really think he should come with?" Matt asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith climbed into the carriage and sat beside the small wolf, who sniffed him more thoroughly to make </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> it was Keith. "I have a vague idea of where Sendak's blood pit is but I can't guarantee I can find it going through the main entrance. But Kosmo-" Keith tapped the wolf's nose, "-can find Lance's scent." Keith proudly presented the old shirt that he'd manage to keep the underlings from washing, still drenched in Lance's scent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled at him proudly, "Smart. Now let’s get going."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ghostly footsteps walked the perimeter of the building. It would be difficult to scale, but doable. Likely quite the labyrinth inside but if she had heard correctly, the high profile vampire would be out in the open tonight. Even if it was an easy kill, she'd be named a hero if he fell tonight; not that glory ever mattered. She kept her breath silent and steady. All she needed was a way i- !</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She froze when she heard rustling, fingers creeping slowly towards her blade. She glanced up, a vampire...in one of the trees? That was...odd, not even taking into account it’s cheaply manufactured clothing. Had it spotted her and tried to hide? It did seem to be concealing itself. She couldn't hear from this distance but it was talking and motioning to something else just out of her site. It almost looked...worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She crept closer to get a better look at the scene; two other vampires and a human pet. Just thinking about it turned her stomach. Before she could back up out of view again, the larger of the two vampires turned its head, eyes promptly locking with hers. She stilled, a hand now firmly gripping the handle of her blade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hello!" The vampire called as he approached, the others looking to one another nervously before trailing behind him. "Excuse me, miss? Are you a hunter?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A hunter?" Keith asked, growing increasingly unsure of Shiro's decision to approach this woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Vampire hunters. They target elite vampires quite frequently," Shiro responded easily. The woman unsheathed her sword and took a quick swipe at the vampire, just barely missing as he quickly side-stepped the attack. "If you’ll put that away, miss," Shiro kept his expression calm as she kept the blade aimed at him. "You have a target at this estate, don't you. Head of the house?" he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why would I tell you?" the woman snapped; her stance lowered and her eyes sparked with fire. She was ready to fight them and she was ready to win.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Because we may not be here on the best intentions ourselves,” Shiro replied, not even flinching at the sight of an immortal killing blade being pointed at his face. “Perhaps we could be of assistance."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith growled at the woman threatening Shiro and pulled his own blade from the belt hidden under his dress. "We're not gonna mess with you unless you mess with us first, got it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman faltered, "You have a god killer?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, and I'm not afraid to take yours if you even try to hurt Shiro again!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Take it easy, Ke- uh, Romelle. No one's attacking anyone right now." Shiro set a hand on Keith's shoulder, mostly to hold him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman eyed the human in front of her, as well as the two vampires. She sighed and straightened, reluctantly lowering her sword. "My name is Krolia, and your assumption was correct. I came here with a mission to assassinate the head of this house." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I figured," Shiro smiled. "We're here for his pets; we can help each other."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia raised a suspicious eyebrow, "What could I possibly gain from getting involved with you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smirked a bit, "You want to waste all that time and effort sneaking in when you can just walk in with us?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia blinked, "I...see your point. Fine, I'll follow your plan."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"In that case, 'Romelle'?" Matt gestured to Keith and Kosmo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith nodded and knelt down to where Kosmo was patiently waiting. "Alright boy, find Lance." Keith held out the used shirt for Kosmo to sniff. After a moment, Kosmo took a quick sniff of the air and disappeared without a trace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh? Where did it go?" Krolia glanced around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Inside the estate; to the blood pit, most likely. Once he comes back he can lead us to where Sendak keeps the pets." Keith explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Speaking of, we should get inside before we look suspicious out here. Hold still, miss Krolia." Shiro held out his hand and Krolia jolted a bit before quickly looking herself over, everything </span>
  <em>
    <span>seemed</span>
  </em>
  <span> normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What did you do?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You now look more fit to be a party guest, at least to outsider eyes. Check your reflection if you want to see." Krolia managed to catch a glimpse of her state of dress in the covered window. To anyone else she appeared to have a thin and breezy violet gown on, all of her armor plates and weapons hidden without even being touched. "I understand this won't be a comfortable experience but you will need to refer to me as 'master' once we're inside." Shiro explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Absolutely not," Krolia countered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's your choice to blow our cover or not but I won't be so forgiving if I lose this opportunity because of you. Now come on…" Shiro turned on his heel, leading the others back to the front entrance. Kuro gave them one last thumbs up from his hiding spot and he watched them approach the main doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh man…" Matt gulped as they approached.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just act natural, 'daughter'" Shiro set a hand on Matt's shoulder to calm him down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Dude, don't make this weird on purpose..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro brushed off the comment and continued on, giving a nod to the guards stationed at the door. They knew Alfor and his daughter were invited guests, no need to check for an invitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia let herself breathe once they passed the front door. So far so good… They walked the carpeted hallways, most branching hallways were blocked off with velvet ropes, giving them a straight and easy path to the ballroom. Keith forced himself not to cling to Shiro as the large ballroom doors creaked open and they stepped inside. He gulped as he looked out at the crowd of vampires. Some of the party guests didn’t pay any mind but the amount of eyes on them as they entered made Keith’s skin crawl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't show fear," Krolia muttered, "It will only attract their attention."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith nodded, "Yeah...that's kind of the last thing we need right now, huh…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro scanned the room as they merged into the crowd, holding firm despite all the tense nervousness trying to bubble to the surface. “Alfor-” Fuck!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro turned to see Sendak standing tall beside them, his dressed up pet standing meekly at his side with a collar around his neck; the connected chain sat firmly in Sendak’s fist. “-Allura, I’m pleased to see you both arrived.” Sendak nodded to them respectfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello Sendak, pleased to see you again.” Shiro smiled and resisted the urge to scowl at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith felt a chill shoot up his spine as Sendak’s eye fell to him and Krolia. “You brought your own pets. Generous as always…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha, well, we can’t expect that scrawny one to feed everybody here.” Matt laughed awkwardly, purposely stepping in front of both of the pets to at least try to keep Sendak away from the humans with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James glanced up from his shy and nervous staring at his feet, raising an eyebrow at the younger of the two human women standing with Alfor. Something about the younger’s, clearly restrained, sour look was chillingly familiar, and quite unlike how she normally was. He searched her face like there was something he was missing in the big picture even if he had passingly met this other pet before. Keith quickly noticed the lingering stare from James and narrowed his eyes, catching the boy off guard and making him reel back behind Sendak again. Keith huffed and crossed his arms, making it a point to show off how much he was ignoring James right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a brief and stiff chat with Sendak, Shiro was able to slip away from them, Matt reaching up to tap his shoulder. "Romelle and I are gonna split off and wait for Kosmo." Matt whispered. Shiro simply nodded, watching them leave with a worried expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alfor!” Shiro grimaced as he turned around, a shorter vampire strutting up to him with a smug look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh...Morvok. Fancy running into you.” Shiro greeted, struggling not to sound facetious. How did the real Alfor stand all these people?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well of course I was going to come talk to you. Sharing party gossip is always a delight with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Have you heard about Shirogane?" Morvok interrupted eagerly, "Those rumors of his are surfacing again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro's jaw clenched, "I'm...not really one for gossip on him..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The short vampire laughed haughtily, "As if I would believe that out of your mouth, Alfor. Surely you know already. Apparently, Shirogane really is a notorious fornicator with his pets. Can you believe someone with status like us would even think about being that depraved?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro felt a lump forming in his throat, his fingers curling into a tight grip on the edge of his blazer. "I...have no words for that…" he glanced back at Krolia, almost begging for help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morvok nodded solemnly, "Humans are disgusting enough as it is. I can't think of where a vampire's head needs to be to drive them to </span>
  <em>
    <span>that.</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia noticed Shiro struggling to keep his face from twisting into a look of shame as he seemed to overhear even more conversations discussing his speculated private life. "Master?" Krolia almost puked forcing that out of her mouth. "Can you show me to the bathroom, please?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sighed, "Oh well, I suppose. Sorry to cut things short but I should tend to this one." Shiro awkwardly patted her shoulder as they turned to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course, I'll run into you later, Alfor!" Morvok waved as they turned around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sighed as they walked away, wandering back towards Matt and Keith. "Thank you, Krolia…" he muttered. Krolia only hummed and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up as Shiro approached, double checking that no one else was in ear-shot before speaking, "We have a lead." He held the tablecloth up a bit to reveal where Kosmo was hiding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You found him, boy?" Shiro eagerly asked. In a flash Kosmo vanished again, reappearing on top of the wide, decorative door frame leading out to one of the branching hallways. The four of them looked to Kosmo then glanced at each other. They were ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro took hold of Keith’s arm, darting through the entryway before anyone could spot them. Matt and Krolia followed close behind, ducking out of view from any potential prying eyes. “You’re not going straight for Sendak’s neck?” Matt asked Krolia as they trailed down the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well not only is he surrounded by other vampires, but I have a feeling things will get...out of hand once I make a move. I want to see his pets first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you have such an interest, lady?” Keith raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia sighed and awkwardly crossed her arms, “Well, if you just </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to know, I’m...looking for someone. I’ve heard that my son was taken and sold to one of these creatures.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Creatures..?” Shiro muttered under his breath. “Anyway, I’m sorry to hear you were separated from your son. Maybe if we hit a dead end here, we can help you look for him. I do have plenty of connections.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You assume we will be working together again…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just here to offer my help…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess I’ll keep that in mind,” Krolia sighed, “But I’ve already spent years trying to find him. I doubt you could be much help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith frowned softly, “You miss him, I know how that feels. I haven’t seen my mom since I was a baby...If she didn’t die then she’d be my only real family left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia frowned, “Well, I do hope you can see your mother again one day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I hope you find your son down here, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>gUess!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Keith jolted a bit as his voice cracked, pitching back down from the copy of Romelle, back to his own voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” Shiro hissed, “It’s wearing off already?? Come on, we should hurry.” Shiro took a second to squeeze Keith’s fingers as Kosmo led them down a tight staircase at the end of the hall. Krolia braced the wall, only able to follow the dim light of Kosmo’s softly glowing fur as she descended the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shiro, I can’t see. I’m gonna trip,” Keith complained in a hushed tone, his voice now fully back to it’s rough and deep tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold out your hand, Keith, I’ve got you.” Shiro turned back to him as he walked, dropping the fake identity now that the spell was starting to fail. He watched Keith stretch his arm out, trying to feel the air in front of him, and gently took hold of his hand. He squeezed it again to give him the security that he could lead him confidently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what did you call her?” Krolia asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah sorry,” Matt interrupted, his voice shifting back as well. “I don’t think we mentioned that we were disguised as totally different people when we snuck in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need a light,” Krolia stated as she picked up her pace down the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see what I can find,” Shiro replied as he reached the bottom. He let Keith stumble into his arms and kept him upright. “Stay here Keith, there’s a lantern on the wall.” Keith sighed as he stood in the pitch black darkness of Sendak’s cluttered basement. After a moment, a faint glow came from the other side of the room and Shiro returned with the gentle flicking light of the lantern’s flame. “I know it’s not much, but I wouldn’t want the two of you tripping in here. It’s pretty messy down here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia took the lantern from him and promptly dug into her pocket. She plucked out a small photograph and held the light to Keith’s face. Keith looked back at her, awkward and confused. “What..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said you haven’t seen your mother since you were little. This...wouldn’t happen to be your father, would it?” Krolia offered him the photograph; despite the question she sounded perfectly reassured already. The picture was tilted at an angle, Krolia with a bundle in her arms and who was unmistakably Keith’s father, straining his arm up to take the photo himself. Keith’s wide eyes scanned the picture, flicking from the image, up to Krolia, and back again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You’re…” Keith started, his throat growing tight as he struggled to voice it himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro set a hand on his shoulder and leaned on him to look over it himself. “You’re his mother…” Shiro looked up at Krolia, amazed and happy that they were reunited. It was only when he said it aloud did it really click. “You’re...you’re his </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Shiro stiffened and promptly let go of Keith; his face flushing as he tried not to panic. “Oh my gosh, I never even introduced myself properly to you. I had no idea you were actually-” Shiro gulped nervously, he really hadn’t expected to meet one of Lance or Keith’s parents so soon. Was he getting too ahead of himself? Most definitely, but that didn’t make his internal panic stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t understand…” Keith frowned. “Why did you leave? Why didn’t you come back?!” Keith snapped, unsure whether to growl or cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t make up for leaving you behind when you needed me Keith. When I learned your father died, I didn’t know where you were taken. I tried...I really did… I looked absolutely everywhere I could. But I promise I can make this right and explain everything once we get out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed, looking at her, conflicted. He still had so many questions but...they still needed to get Lance out. “Okay… But, where do we go from here? I don’t see any other d- !” Keith jumped when he heard a click underneath his feet and the boards beneath him shifted. He finally noticed the wooden hatch he had been standing on and stepped off it, allowing Kosmo to push it open with his snout. The wolf looked to the group, annoyed and impatient as he stepped back down the rickety stairs with a soft huff. “That’s right...this…” Keith gulped. “I remember this now… We’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro found his fists clenching as he stared down the hole, he could hear faint coughs and murmurs below them. This really was where Sendak kept his pets. It’s where he put Lance… Even as his gut churned, Shiro took the first step down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pets were quick to shrink away as they heard the door creak open. Lance felt his chest tighten as well, but then he heard it. Whispers, voices that weren’t Sendak’s, soft lights he could barely perceive at the end of the room. He crawled past the others as they pressed against the wall, squinting out past the bars.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance!” Pidge hissed, “What are you doing?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance felt his eyes growing wet as he tried to identify the figure approaching the cage. “Sh...Shiro??” it was barely a squeak but he heard it all the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia brought the lantern closer to illuminate the other end of the room, the light catching Shiro’s horrified but relieved face as he knelt in front of him. “Lance!!” Without even trying, Shiro ripped one of the iron bars clean off the wall, giving him enough space to reach his arm in and pull Lance closer. Lance let a sob breach his mouth as he threw his arm around Shiro’s neck. The opening was too small to fit his other arm through, so he settled for squeezing Shiro’s other hand in a vice grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, are you okay??” Keith ran up to join the two of them, reaching his arm through the remaining bars to grip Lance’s knee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sniffled, looking up at him in disbelief. “Keith?? How-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Matt! Shiro!” Pidge shakily got to her feet and ran to the front of the cage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie! Oh my god I was so worried about you!” Matt ran up to the cage as well, gripping the bars as he smiled down at his sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro reluctantly let go of Lance and stood back up, “Matt, help me get these out. You should step back, Lance.” Lance shuffled backwards at his request and the two vampires yanked out a few more iron rods, making a sizable hole to let the pets out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge shoved past Lance and jumped into Matt’s arms the moment he unearthed his last pole, causing him to drop it with a loud clatter. It left her ears ringing, but it didn’t matter to her. Matt squeezed her tight and let out a stressed sigh. “Never, </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever, </span>
  </em>
  <span>go out by yourself again. You have no idea how scared we’ve all been…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge could only sigh and relax in his arms, “Yeah...never again…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance winced as he got to his feet, holding onto the remaining bars for balance as he stepped out. Keith offered his hand, willing to help even if he wasn’t really sure if he could look him in the eye. “Keith…” Lance frowned and held onto him, his fingers tracing Keith’s jaw to try and turn his head to face him. He felt Keith’s skin flush under his touch and smiled smugly. “What? Too scared to kiss me now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith flinched and a hoarse whimper squirmed out of his throat. “I...I-I’m sorry...about...</span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lance, I was just-” Keith’s voice left him as he felt Lance softly kiss his chin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Completely in love with me?” Lance finished. Keith’s eyes fell to the ground shyly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith…” Shiro joined them, setting a hand on each of their backs. “We don’t just want you back as a friend. We’ve both grown to love you so much... If you’ll have us, of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked to them both, his face completely red as he tried to find a way to respond. “I...you really mean that..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay if you’re overwhelmed. We’ll have plenty of time to talk once you’re both home safe…” Shiro reassured, gently rubbing their shoulders. Keith swallowed and nodded sheepishly, managing a small smile up at them both. Shiro smiled back, gently picking up Lance so he didn’t have to lean on Keith to balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia hummed as she stepped up beside Keith. “Hm...he’s cute.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sputtered nervously, “Wh- mom!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? All these years and I’ve never had a chance to embarrass you. Give me one, at least.” she smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa! You’re Keith’s mom??” Lance exclaimed, squirming in Shiro’s grip to get a closer look at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, we’ll have plenty of time to ask questions once we get out. But we’re still in Sendak’s castle. We’re not out of the woods yet.” Matt spoke up, giving the group a look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right…” Shiro nodded, turning his gaze back to the pets in the cage, each of them looking terrified to even let a hair fall out of the confines of their prison. “Come on now...we’re getting you all out.” Shiro frowned when none of them moved. “Please, I know you’re all scared, but I can’t leave you all here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyma looked up from the younger pet she had been guarding. “Mr. Shirogane..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nyma?? You’re here too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyma nodded and stood up, despite the hushed pleading from the others. “Sendak stole me right under Rolo’s feet…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know...he told me.” Shiro blinked in realization as he looked over the other humans. “Are...are </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> of you stolen..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sendak was the one stealing everyone’s pets this whole time? But why would he need to?” Matt asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hard to say, but it’s not important right now. Nyma, please, we need to get all of these humans on their feet,” Shiro pleaded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyma nodded and turned back to the others. “Listen up, I know you’ve all suffered in here, so have I. But I trust Shirogane to get us out. He won’t let us down…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sendak is my enemy as well. I won’t let him treat another human so terribly. I swear it.” Shiro squeezed Lance a bit closer as he spoke, smiling faintly as a few other humans slowly rose to their feet. Nyma helped them onto their stiff and unused legs and they filed out of the cage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia looked over the weak and trembling victims before shooting an incredulous eye to Shiro. “Well, we walked in just fine with four people. What do you expect to do about leaving with fifteen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sixteen,” Shiro clarified, “We’re saving the one Sendak has upstairs as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Keith snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t answer my question, Shiro.” Krolia responded calmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simple, our mission to find Lance and Pidge is complete, but yours isn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia blinked before giving him a sly smirk and unsheathing her blade. “I suppose you’re right…but we still need a plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith split from the group as they discussed their next course of action, shivering as he looked over the unfortunately familiar setting. His eyes fell to a small wooden shelf, mostly filled with sparse medical supplies and crude tools. He quietly plucked a familiar bottle off the shelf, glaring at the red pills inside; Erythrodamine… It was hard to believe that one little pill led to this, to all the people he was able to meet, to finding his mom again, to falling in love, and to him wasting every opportunity he had to enjoy it... He stuffed the bottle in his pocket, if Sendak got away from this he didn’t want this awaiting whatever human became his victim next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith, are you listening?” Shiro called. Keith looked back to the group and returned to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am, what’s the plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Takashi!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro jumped a bit as Kuro called out to him. "Ryou? What is it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Allura just arrived. You're out of time."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Breakout</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Allura sighed as she stepped into the ballroom, the warning Matt gave her was still on her mind. It didn’t help that her father was so stressed since she’d made them so late. “Allura?” Romelle stepped a bit closer to her and looked up at her timidly. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura sighed and tried to relax her shoulders. “I’ll be fine...let’s just try to enjoy ourselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, miss Allura, decide that your other dress didn’t suit the occasion then?” An older, pudgy man laughed as he approached her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm? What exactly do you mean, Lubos? I’ve only just arrived.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lubos raised an eyebrow, clearly no less confused than her. “Do you change your appearance so frequently that it’s second nature? I never will understand the need for you women to be so indecisive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura glared at him and turned towards the snack table. “It was ‘nice’ seeing you again, Lubos…” she promptly left with Romelle at her heels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was strange…” Romelle commented, “What do you think he meant by that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hardly know, but he’s still just as much of a- huh?” Allura stopped as she caught a flash out of the corner of her eye and the tablecloth of the snack table rustled slightly. She gently lifted the cloth and a small black wolf was staring back up at her, ears perked and eyes wide. Allura yelped and jumped away from the table, the flash coming again from under the fabric as the wolf vanished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that??” Romelle squeaked as she backed away from the table. Before Allura could answer a blast of air came from the southern hallway, followed by thick, dark smoke. It blanketed the concerned guests as it filled the room, obscuring the entryway entirely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s your cue. Whatever you do, don’t let go of each other.” Shiro pressed as he shooed the pets into the room. All of them were linked by the arms in a long chain running towards the exit, Matt and Pidge taking the lead, Lance and Keith at the rear with Kosmo guarding their backs. Keith offered one last look to Shiro and his mother before the line tugged him forward and into the haze of smoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure they’ll be alright?” Krolia asked as she unholstered a pistol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My brother is still out on the front grounds. As long as they make it out the doors, he can help keep them safe. Now you should hurry too while you have cover.” Krolia nodded and leapt out into the smoke, weaving around the discombobulated guests and scaling the wall to perch on the upper floor. “I’m looking the other way on you fulfilling your bounty, but remember, no other casualties.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia growled as she heard Shiro’s voice clear as day despite him still being in the hallway, “Get out of my head and let me aim…” she muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance bit his lip to restrain a pained whine as they moved. With everyone in such poor health, they weren’t exactly running fast. They were half blinded by heavy smoke and didn't have much of a sense of how long it would take until they were out. “I know your leg isn’t great right now, Lance. Just hang on a little longer, okay?” Keith encouraged, hauling Lance’s arm around his neck to give him more support as he limped along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia took a breath. The smoke Shiro had laid down was thick, but it wasn’t impossible to find Sendak in the confused crowd. She steadied her aim, the reticle settling on the back of his neck. With a soft prayer she pulled the trigger. It was like time froze when she saw his head moving, turning to look her directly in the eye. Sendak stiffened as the bullet flew just past his nose, hitting the floor beside him. The shot echoed through the room, and it wasn’t long until she had the whole room’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hunter!” someone cried, causing many of the vampires in the room to panic. They ran for the exit, hardly even noticing the chain of dirty blood pets right beside them. Lance winced as the pace of the chain got faster, struggling to keep up on his injured leg. Keith gritted his teeth as the hand holding onto the pet ahead of them began to strain, his palm slick with sweat. It only took one hit from a tight turn around a pillar to knock them apart from the others.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith yelped as he stumbled and fell as they detached from the group, easily losing the group among the cloudy air and panicked guests. “Shit! Lance, hurry, we need to get up!” Keith scrambled to his feet, nearly slipping on the waxed floor as Lance's trembling and burning legs failed to hold him upright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You…” Keith froze as the smoke settled around them, his eyes locking onto the furious glare of the ruined party’s host.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro growled and took loud, heavy steps into the ballroom, drawing Sendak's attention to himself instead, “You really shouldn’t be surprised to see me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro jumped down from the tree he’d been uncomfortably perched in as Matt approached. “Shiro told me the plan, are these really-?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sendak’s pets. We’re getting them out of here.” Matt confirmed between heavy breaths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro looked them all over and nodded, leading the line of humans to Shiro’s carriage, sitting near the front gate. Matt threw the door open and began to shuffle them all into the tight space. “Eight, nine, ten- Matt, should there be ten here? Wait, where’s Keith and Shiro?!” Kuro looked around frantically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, Lance isn’t here either. They must still be in there.” Matt nervously clutched at his clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go,” Kuro stated before Matt could offer the same. “You guard them until I have them all back.” Matt reluctantly nodded as he watched the scruffy vampire sprint back towards the castle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt stayed stiff as he looked out at the other vampires scattering to their own vehicles, nervously trying to keep the pets from peering out the windows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Matt?? What are you doing out here?” Matt nearly jumped out of his skin as one of the carriages stopped beside him, Allura leaning out the window. “I didn’t think you were invi- wait, why are you in a dress?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! A-Allura, this is not what it looks like. I...uh-!” Matt squeaked as he noticed one of the other pets peeking out from behind the curtains of the carriage windows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have something to do with what’s going on in there, do you, boy?” Alfor opened the other window and narrowed his eyes at Matt. Matt continued to stutter and shrink against the wall of the carriage as Alfor and Allura stared him down, questioning and judgmental. And then, Romelle peered out at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Bandor…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura raised an eyebrow at her. “Romelle what are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt chuckled nervously, “Ah, I’m sure it’s noth- ING!” Matt yelped as the carriage door swung open and knocked him over, one of the younger pets stepping out and approaching Alfor’s carriage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Romelle??” he squinted at her in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know each other?” Allura asked Romelle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s my brother. He disappeared just before I came to stay with you.” Romelle slipped out the door and yanked Bandor into a hug. “Goodness, what happened to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bandor whimpered slightly and continued to hold onto her. “Lord Sendak took me away before I even knew what happened myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfor’s eyes widened as he watched the two of them, “That’s...not possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, father?” Allura questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I purchased both of them as your gift but...I had been informed there had been an accident, and only one of the siblings was able to be delivered. Was Sendak of all people really responsible?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura stepped out of the carriage and approached Matt with a stern look. “You need to explain to me what’s happening, Matt. If Sendak stole this pet, why do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> now have him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt gulped, “I-I...uh...well...Lance got stolen from Shiro’s estate by Sendak, and he almost killed us, he actually also had my sister, and he stole all of these pets so Shiro and I broke in and stole all of </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> pets and now they’re in there fighting for their lives while i guard the pets!” he rambled, nearly lightheaded as he finally took in a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura blinked at him as she processed it all. “Father, is it okay if I stay with Matt for the time being? Bandor doesn’t look very healthy and I hate to separate him from Romelle right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfor sighed, “Sendak and I will need to have quite the talk later, but alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to take her back to the Shirogane estate after all this is taken care of- uh, sir,” Matt stammered, looking timidly up at Alfor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alfor nodded to them and shut the door. “I will send your advisor to escort you back at your call, daughter. Be careful…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura nodded and watched her father leave with a sigh. “Come on you two,” she called to the pets. “Get back in the carriage. I don’t feel like it’s safe for you to be out in the open right now…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro growled as he paced across the empty ballroom, Sendak doing the same as they circled each other. “I’ve had just about enough of you Sendak… The way you abuse your pets is unforgivable!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak sneered at him, “You tried to kill me before. What makes you think you can do that now. Especially with all of these pitiful little humans that I’m sure you don’t want harmed!” In a flash, Sendak grabbed a metal tray off the snack table. He flung it behind himself, striking Krolia in the wrist and making her drop the firearm to the floor below. Krolia cried out and held her wrist, cringing as it swelled and stung with immense amounts of pain. It was sprained at it’s very best, but likely broken. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mom!!" Keith growled at Sendak but only made it one step before Lance grabbed his wrist. He didn't need to say a word to get his message across, falling for Sendak's taunts would be akin to suicide. Keith relented to Lance with a frustrated huff and stayed beside him, guarding him as Kosmo watched Sendak carefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro snarled and hurled an empty glass at Sendak’s head, James flinching behind him as it shattered against his master's head. “ENOUGH! Before I just tried to get you to leave my home. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m here to kill you…” He gave Lance and Keith one last glance so he’d know where they were, somewhat relieved that Kosmo was still standing with them ready to teleport at a moment's notice, before he launched himself towards Sendak. He threw a punch towards Sendak’s jaw, one the vampire effortlessly caught and threw back just as hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They traded blows so rapidly it was too hard to notice if any of them were even taking hits. Everything that could be pried off the floor or walls was thrown as they darted around the room, including James himself. The boy squealed as he was thrown, Shiro catching him gently before taking a hard hit to his shin and stumbling to the ground. He dumped James on the floor and ushered him behind an overturned table, out of harm's way. James looked on at the vampires fighting as he sat helplessly on the floor. The one opposing his master just...saved him, without a second thought. Every chance he had, Shiro was looking back at Lance and Keith as Kosmo growled and teleported the boys closer to the exit and out of the way of debris. It was then James heard Keith’s words again. You’re being a fucking coward…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith kept Lance pressed to the far wall, keeping him guarded as Kosmo kept them out of the way of debris as they inched towards the exit. Lance yelped as another table flew right past them, blocking the doorway before they could get out. Kosmo whined as he panted with exhaustion; he didn't have enough strength to teleport again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro pulled his arms up to block a chair as it was launched at him. He bit back a wince as the dry wood shattered against his forearms, his feet skidding across the slick marble floor. Unfortunately, all Lance could do was watch as the large splintered pieces twitched and rose up behind Shiro. With a hard tug from Sendak, the shrapnel flew into Shiro’s body, impaling him clean through his abdomen. “SHIRO!” Lance shrieked and ripped himself from Keith’s hold, frantically stumbling to Shiro’s side. He shielded Shiro’s body with his own, trembling as he stared up at Sendak’s hulking figure approaching them. Shiro attempted to protest but only managed a week wheeze as dark blood stained his clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what, exactly do you think you can do to save him? Do you simply prefer to die screaming first?!” Sendak roared as he reached for Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro looked on in horror from the entryway, panting with exhaustion as he frantically tried to climb over the debris Sendak had piled in the entryway. A flash appeared beside him, Kosmo shaking as he slumped onto the carpet. He tried, but he hadn't brought Keith with him. Kuro was quick to scoop him up and hold him close as he looked on in terror. His magic supply was too small and physical body was too tired. There was nothing he could do to-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance flinched as he felt Sendak’s nails catch his shirt before they miraculously released. He looked up only to see Sendak’s attention directed back at Keith, sniffing at the air coming from his direction. Keith’s chest heaved as he stood tall at the other end of the room, the Erythrodamine bottle in one hand and his blade, stained with fresh blood, in the other. Lance's stomach dropped when he noticed the red trailing down Keith’s forearm. He didn’t…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve wanted me from the beginning, haven’t you?! Well come and fucking get it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“K-Keith no!” Shiro choked out as Sendak ignored them entirely, choosing instead to bare his fangs at Keith instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith gripped his blade tighter as Sendak charged him. He was across the room in the blink of an eye, looking deranged and ravenous. Keith fell to the floor as Sendak boxed him in, indulging the heavy and sweet smell from the cut on his arm. Keith winced as Sendak took it in a vice grip. He ignored the pain and hazy feeling growing in his head, using his free hand to thrust his blade into Sendak’s chest. Sendak roared in pain, though seemingly ignored the residual sting as the blade only slightly pierced him. Keith felt himself go cold, he couldn’t reach any further to dig the knife in. He squeezed his eyes shut and braced for the pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith!” Wait, was that…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up only to see a chain wrap around Sendak’s neck and yank him back. James dug his heels into Sendak’s back, his arms straining as he tried to hold back the thrashing vampire with the chain of his own leash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“K-Keith hurry up!” he cried out, wincing as his hands dragged on the rough metal rings. Sendak snarled and grabbed the back of James’s shirt. James yelped as he was thrown harshly off of Sendak, tumbling across the floor. Keith quickly sat up while he had the room to, throwing his blade deep into Sendak’s chest and making him yell in agony. He growled and threw himself onto Keith, digging his teeth into whatever flesh he could find. Keith screamed but drove the blade in as far as he could despite his body shaking with pain as warm blood spurted across his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sendak’s body almost seemed to grow hot to the touch, his skin drying and flaking rapidly as his grip on Keith gradually loosened. He let out heavy, jagged breaths, shaking as he tried to stand until he lost his strength and he collapsed onto the human, knocking him down to the floor again. Keith trembled as he continued to hold his knife up in a vice grip, even though there was nothing left he could pierce. He sat up slowly, the room feeling too quiet as piles of ash and old clothes rolled off his body. He looked up at the sound of clinking and scraping metal, James looking timid as he approached him and offered his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on...let’s get out of this place…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura set her hand on Matt’s shoulder as he nervously paced around the carriage, his footprints beginning to wear down the well-groomed grass. “They’re okay...they have to be…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt sighed, “I know...but I can’t help it. Sendak almost killed us last time I don’t know if-!” Matt perked his head up as he heard others approaching. Kuro waved to them wearily as they approached, supporting Shiro on one shoulder and Lance on the other. Krolia trailed behind him, cradling her wounded arm with James holding Keith upright as they shuffled beside her. Kosmo stayed limp in James's other arm, letting out soft worried whines as the group limped across the lawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt grinned and ran up to them, pulling Shiro and Kuro into a gentle hug. “You guys made it! Are you okay? Is...is Sendak…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia nodded, “The plan went awry but...we succeeded. Sendak is dead...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what should we do about the estate?” Kuro asked, glancing back at the old building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave it as a grave to rob,” Allura stated, “Sendak’s taken enough. Some people deserve to take something back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro chuckled at her faintly despite his face being even paler than normal, “Come on...everyone in. Let’s...let’s go home…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt opened the door and let James and Keith shuffle inside. Allura took Lance off of Kuro’s shoulders and carried him in as well. “H-Hey Lance…?” Keith mumbled as he sat down in the crowded carriage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair warning, I’ve been struggling not to this whole time, but I’m gonna pass out any...sec…” James squeaked as he struggled to hold Keith upright as his body went limp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no! Keith!” Lance clamored over James to look him over, frantically feeling for a pulse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance...you remember Erythrodamine makes him pass out, right?” Shiro asked gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-oh...right…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt squeezed into the carriage with the rest of them before looking over Kuro, Shiro, and Krolia. “Ah...I don’t know if we’re going to have room for everybody…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay Matt, we’ll move to the roof for the ride back,” Kuro explained, hauling Shiro into his arms and slowly holding him above his head to help him onto the top of the carriage. Shiro’s body trembled as he puffed out gasps of pain but he managed to haul himself up the rest of the way onto the flat, bordered roof despite all of the puncture wounds, big and small, littering his body. “Krolia, was it? Allow me,” Kuro cupped both his hands, crouching slightly to let her use him as a step. She quietly took the offer and managed to pull herself up without using her injured arm. Kuro pulled himself up as well, gently knocking the roof with his heel to get the carriage moving. He gently moved Shiro to rest in his lap to cushion his head, he no longer had the strength to sit upright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…” Krolia started, “I suppose now is at least a slightly better time to talk about you and my son...” Krolia stared out at the landscape as the carriage rolled along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sighed, gazing blankly up at the sky. “I know you won’t approve. The moment I knew you were his mother, I knew I had no chance…” he breathed out, trying to ignore the sting in his chest, figurative and literal. “But I love him, dearly...I love them both more than I could love any vampire. There’s a reason they didn’t flinch to defend me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia raised an eyebrow, “So you just assume I would say no?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What??” Shiro winced as he attempted to sit up, groaning as Kuro quietly ushered him to lay back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not so focused in my ways that I can’t recognize devotion when I see it. You nearly died protecting those two, and they did the same. Hardly any vampire would do that for a human and vice versa.” Krolia hummed and smiled softly at him. “I’m not exactly going to give you my blessings yet, but…” she hummed. “Let’s just say, I won’t kill you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro huffed and smiled. “As if you could…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Says the one practically knocking at death’s door as we speak…” Krolia’s cheeky smile dipped as she looked over the vampire, weak and sickly as he laid in his worried brother’s lap. “You’d better live through this… For Keith’s sake…”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. The Trip</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance groaned as he opened his eyes, staring out at the high ceiling of Shiro’s ballroom. He shifted and itched at the fresh bandage around his knee as he sat up. The evening light streamed through the large back windows, illuminating the other sleeping pets in a golden glow. At Kuro’s request, the underlings had dropped everything to gather every piece of bedding they could, constructing makeshift cots for the dozen sore pets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the underlings shuffled up to Lance as he looked over the field of beds scattered all over the ballroom. Lance frowned at the weary state of the small servant as it shuffled up to check his leg. “I’m okay little guy...you should check on everybody else…” he pet it’s head. The underling nodded gratefully and moved over to the cot beside his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance frowned as he watched the underling gently remove the bandages on Keith’s back, cringing at the messy claw and bite marks from Sendak. Keith winced and shifted as the underling treated him, only letting him turn around once the wounds were properly cleaned and wrapped again. Keith sighed as the underling moved on to the next pet, sitting up slowly to greet Kosmo, who had been lying at his feet. “Hey buddy… you sleep okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t we ask you that? I was terrified just watching Sendak go after you…” Lance let out a soft, awkward laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up at him and gave him a weak smile. “Hey...I’m just glad we could get you out…” Keith shifted off his cot and moved over to Lance’s, ignoring the pain of shifting his raw and damaged skin around. “I...missed you…I missed you so much.” Keith leaned against Lance, sinking into his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance smiled and wound his arms around his neck, minding his injuries. “I missed you too…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were conscious the rest of the night, right? Catch me up…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance smiled softly and settled more comfortably on his cot with Keith at his side. “Well, Shiro’s in his room; Kuro said he might take a while to wake up though… Matt and Pidge are upstairs doing god knows what. Your mom is still here, as far as I know, and the underlings have been running around all day to deal with everyone’s injuries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I didn’t hallucinate any of that did I..? Sendak is really gone forever?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...he is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up as a shadow covered their cot, James standing tense before them. He’d changed out of his party outfit and into some pajamas borrowed from the pet wardrobes. Keith couldn’t help but narrow his eyes a bit. “What are you going to do about it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Keith, you were right...I shouldn’t have just let myself bend to Sendak’s whim…” James crossed his arms and shrunk a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay...you did what you needed to survive.” Keith rubbed at his neck and awkwardly patted the edge of the cot to invite him to sit. “Speaking of surviving...thank you. What you did yesterday was…well it was stupid but still, you saved my life, James.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James sighed and sat down, “Yeah, it was really stupid… But I wanted out; and when Shirogane saved me like that I...I thought you really had a chance to be that out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith couldn’t help but crack a smile. “I’m glad you took that chance…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance hummed softly, “There’s still something I don’t get. Wasn’t Sendak super major rich? Why was he stealing all his pets to begin with?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t used to…” Keith hummed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because it all kinda...started happening because of you.” James admitted. “When you escaped, Sendak was so infuriated that...he killed most of the other pets still there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He must’ve started stealing so people didn’t know he was in such short supply.” Lance guessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably...the guy really cared about his image around other vampires,” James shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that why you were still so pissy with me? You blamed me for getting them killed..?” Keith’s expression was somewhere between a glare and hurt grimace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I shouldn’t have but...yes…” James pouted shamefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed, “Look, as long as we’re not going to butt heads anymore, I think I can put your little grudge behind me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James smiled sheepishly, “Fair enough…friends..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh...fine, friends.” Keith lightly punched his shoulder, smiling comfortably at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James smiled back before glancing over as a small bell chime rang out through the room, another exhausted underling ringing it to get their attention as Hunk limped in behind them. “Breakfast you guys, rise and shine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James stood up and adjusted his loose pajama pants. “I’m gonna go help. I’m really the only one that didn’t get injured. Wouldn’t really be fair to make your chef do all the work on a bad leg…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, you’re actually not a huge pain when you’re away from Sendak…” Keith muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James smirked a bit as he handed plates to Lance and Keith, “Let’s hope you’re the same way, alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-----------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys didn’t have to do all this for me. I’m practically healed by now,” Hunk commented from the kitchen booth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense, Hunk,” Allura retorted as she set the dishes in the drying rack. “You and Kuro have been so gratuitous for letting me linger so long while Romelle’s brother recovered. It’s the least I can do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said your advisor will be back soon to grab you, right?” Lance asked, gently prying the dirty dishes from the underling that fell asleep while </span>
  <em>
    <span>insisting</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it wasn’t too tired to work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, can you finish the rest by yourself? I should find Matt before I need to leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nodded and shooed her off. “I’m fine, you guys go make out or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura sputtered and flushed, shooting a half-hearted glare back at him. “Hmph, he wishes. I think he’d die on the spot if I tried that at this point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d be funny,” Lance tempted her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm...yes, it would be a little funny,” she admitted. Lance chuckled and waved to her as she left the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can take it from here, Lance, honest,” Hunk pleaded as he stood up from the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed, “Ah, alright. I wanted to check on Keith anyway…” Lance stepped away from the sink, only leaving the kitchen once he was confident Hunk was stable at the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he stepped out of the room, he glanced back towards the ballroom. The room was full of chatter from the pets still camping out on the floor. Several of the beds had congealed into larger nests, the pets feeling safe enough to talk and laugh with each other as they recovered. Lance poked his head inside; everyone was looking more lively by the day. They had even moved their scattered beds into a circle so they could all chat during their bed rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Romelle had Bandor in her lap, cradling him as she talked with him. "I still can't believe Lord Sendak hurt you like that… But I promise, I'll never leave your side again. Miss Allura and I will make sure of that." Romelle hummed as she rocked her little brother in her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"As long as I'm with you, sister...I feel safe with you…" Bandor smiled sweetly. Lance couldn't help but feel his mood sink a bit, seeing siblings reunited like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey Lance," Nyma called when she spotted him in the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance snapped out of his daze and slipped into the room. "Hey guys…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you're looking for Keith, he left the ballroom a few hours ago," James spoke up, glancing up from the book in his lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance blushed, "And why, exactly, would I be looking for Keith?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Because you two overlapped your cots and can't keep your hands off each other?" Nyma offered. The others nodded and murmured in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance scoffed at them, "The nerve of you guys to tease me! I was going to check if you needed anything but I guess you don't need my help." Lance crossed his arms and dramatically turned his nose up at them. After a moment the group began to snicker. Lance couldn't help but also laugh at his own dramatics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance, I've been meaning to ask," one of the other pets perked up. "But...where do we go from here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance winced a bit at the question. He wasn't the head of the house, how should he know? "Well, the pet room and the rest of that floor is still too cold to stay in because of the busted wall. I doubt the underlings have been working on it much since they've needed to take care of everybody. And Shiro still isn't awake… But! I'm sure he'll have a plan once he does. In fact, I'll go check on him now, maybe he's up already…" Lance chuckled nervously and darted back out of the room, much to everyone's dissatisfaction with his answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed as he began climbing the stairs, sure a good portion of their group had homes to return to, but that left them with eight banged up humans with nowhere else to go. Most didn't want to find their old masters after an experience like that but he wasn't sure Shiro had the capacity to permanently hold ten pets by himself…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance glanced up as he reached the second floor landing, just catching a glimpse of Allura slipping into the library. He poked his head in after her, spotting Matt and Pidge sitting at one of the worktables. The table was scattered with wires, tools, and bits of metal; all things Pidge was currently tinkering with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, hey Allura," Matt greeted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you two up to?" Allura glanced around the table, looking amused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, when Sendak took me, he dropped my stuff in the woods. You know, like an asshole. Matt found my bag but this little guy didn't survive the trip all the way. I'm trying to make some fixes before we go home." Pidge explained, not looking up from the odd device she was working on. "Thank you, for getting this Matt…for saving me..." she said more softly, leaning her head into Matt's shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt smiled fondly and lightly smacked her back, "C'mon Pidge, of course I would save you. You're my sister…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I still can't believe you're really human, Pidge. I never could tell," Allura commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was the glasses. The lenses were projecting that glint you guys have in your eyes. I don’t even need a prescription,” Pidge explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My genius little sister put that together with some help from Shiro’s alchemy skills.” Matt ruffled Pidge’s hair and yanked her into a one arm hug. “And even though she got the brains, her brother got all the looks.” Matt leaned closer to Allura with a sing-song tone and a wide grin. Allura giggled and kissed her fingers, gently placing them across Matt’s lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys are gross,” Pidge commented, not even looking up from her tinkering as Matt flushed under Allura’s smug look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to be going soon,” Allura said solemnly. “I just wanted to leave you with that before I went.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be able to see you again sometime soon, right?” Matt asked hopefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura hummed with a cheeky smirk, “Maaaybe I could make time for that date you promised me; sometime next week?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matt let out an unnatural squeak as Allura turned around to leave. “He said ‘Bye Allura’” Pidge translated with a casual wave to her. Allura stifled a giggle and waved back as she left the library. Lance found himself still watching Matt and Pidge as they prodded and teased each other; that light hearted way that siblings do… It made his chest feel a bit tight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance reluctantly moved on, ascending to the third floor to continue looking for Keith. His ears caught a chatter drifting from the one open door at the end of the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s how I got this.” Krolia proudly held up her unbandaged arm, showing the jagged claw mark scars her skin was smudged with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa...how many times have you done this?” Keith asked, staring in awe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your grandparents passed this secret down to me when I turned eighteen. That’s when I chose to start training.” Krolia hummed, “If you want...I could pass that training to you as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up at her from Kosmo as he lounged in his lap, shocked and confused. “You mean that??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You act like I wasn’t there when you took down Sendak. You’re strong, Keith. You’re strong and you’re skilled and I am so proud of you for surviving such a horrible place like this.” Krolia set a hand on Keith’s shoulder, gently guiding him into a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith accepted the embrace, letting himself indulge in the loving touch he hadn’t had in so many years. “You’d really do that for me, mom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to make up for my lost time with you… I always wanted to come back but my assignments kept me away until you were already long gone. It’s the biggest regret I have…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith smiled warmly at that but it quickly dipped as another thought came to mind. "But...what about Shiro? And Lance, I...I can't bring myself to just leave them again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia hummed, her good mood also faltering. "You'd really stay here willingly? With a vampire?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know a lot of vampires are cruel and violent, I've seen that myself, but Shiro's not like that at all. He did all of this for me. He got so injured trying to save the two of us and you want to train me to hunt him down..?" Keith's face flushed a bit as he searched his mother's expression for the disapproval he was bracing for, but it never came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You love him, don't you…" her voice was gentle, almost amused as Keith began to shrink with embarrassment and hide in Kosmo’s fur, "Yeah...Lance too; I used to think these feelings were all...wrong but, their right for me, mom. This is where I need to stay."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia smiled and guided him into another hug. "Keith, it's okay. I understand…" she sighed as she rubbed Keith back, comforting him before Keith even really realized he'd gotten upset. "I will have to leave for another assignment eventually. But I want to make sure you and the other humans here are in safe hands first. If those end up being Shiro's hands, I won't disapprove. He clearly reciprocates how you feel."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But...you won't hurt him? You promise?" Keith asked, growing hopeful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I promise; I'll never target him as long as he keeps you safe." Krolia smiled warmly back at him and gave her son another squeeze. "Although, your other one may need to learn not eavesdrop." Krolia let go of Keith and grabbed a short knife off her belt, that was draped over the nightstand. She reeled back and threw it with shocking accuracy for a woman with one arm in a sling. The blade pierced the top of the door and Lance yelped from the other side, startled but not injured, thankfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sheepishly cracked the door open wider and peeked his head in. "Heh...sorry…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance, were you actually spying on us?" Keith narrowed his eyes suspiciously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't mean to! I was gonna come in to see you but I didn't want to interrupt." Lance slipped into the room, turning his attention from Keith to Krolia. "You'll really let Keith stay??"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krolia chuckled lightly, "Perhaps I could just make the occasional visit to teach you these skills, Keith. I really just want you to be happy."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith smiled at her and stood up from the bed, gently setting Kosmo back on the floor. "I am…" he turned to Lance, "I really am." Lance flushed and tried to hide the massive grin threatening to split his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You two go on," Krolia said as she shooed them a bit, "Let me know when Shiro's awake, alright? There's a few things I need to discuss with him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith nodded, blushing as Lance eagerly grabbed his hand. "Thanks, Keith's mom!" Lance waved to Krolia and lightly tugged Keith out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith repressed a snicker as they walked down the hall, "'Keith's mom'? What are you, six?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What? I'm just being polite," Lance chuckled and nudged Keith's shoulder playfully. "I'm...glad you get to see your mom again." Lance said, a solemn smile crossing his face as the two ascended to the fourth floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith frowned and crossed the steps faster to catch up with him. "Hey, are you okay?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, it's nothing... I guess I'm still just worried about Shiro…" The two of them stared down the massive door at the end of the hall, it was almost intimidating to face. Shiro's condition was only either going to be improving or decaying, and that current uncertainty was worse than any concrete answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith slowly opened the door, both of them squinting into the dark room. "Oh, hey guys," Kuro called, promptly lighting one of the lanterns on the wall so they could see where they were walking. Kuro was perched on the edge of the bed, looking tired and worn down. Shiro was still lying in bed, eyes still shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How is he..?" Lance asked timidly, it had already been three days since they all stumbled back from Sendak's estate and Shiro hadn't done anything but sleep since then. His sickly and dry skin was thankfully improving but his condition only remained uncertain as long as he remained unconscious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's getting better," Kuro reassured as Lance and Keith sat on the other end of the bed. "The recovery has just been slow. Taking a bit of blood from Romelle helped but none of the rest of you are fit to feed him while you're healing also." Kuro sighed, before he reluctantly stood up from the bed with a shaky stumble. "I need some sleep. Can you boys watch over him for a little while?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Course we can…" Keith nodded, crawling closer to Shiro. It was strange to see him like this. His face was calm and relaxed, only the softest puffs of breath escaped his nose. His hair was tangled and still full of dirt and dust from the fight. He didn't shift, he didn't twitch, he did nothing but lie there. It was like he was frozen in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Kuro left the room, Pidge ducked under his arm and slipped past him. "Lance, you got a minute?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance looked from Pidge to Keith, who only offered a small shrug. "What's up?" he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just come here for a sec," Pidge waved for him to follow her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed and reluctantly slipped off the bed, following her out into the hall. "Are you gonna tell me what this is about?" he pressed, his arms crossing impatiently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is what I wanted to give you before Sendak captured me," Pidge offered up a small device in her hand. It was seemingly made of scrap plastic parts, possibly from thrown away human goods. It had a numbered keypad fashioned out of typewriter keys and it's internal wires were peeking through gaps in the shell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance raised an eyebrow as Pidge set it in his hands, "Still lost…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge huffed, "It's a phone, Lance. It's fully functional; you can call any number you want. After your sister got in contact with me I thought I'd give you a way to talk to her…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance's eyes went wide as he stared at the crude looking cellphone, his mouth grew uncomfortably dry as it hung open in shock. "I...Pidge you didn't…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge's look grew smug, "I did. The only catch is that the battery isn't very sufficient. It won't last for very long so whatever you want to say, you better say fast." Lance frowned softly but nodded as his fingers hovered over the numbered buttons. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica groaned as her ringtone blared through the dark room, followed by the irritated moan of her sister from across the room. "Veronica shut that off!" Rachel whined into her pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I got it…" Veronica stretched to grab her phone off her nightstand and squinted at the screen. An unlisted number? At 2 in the morning? Hesitantly, she accepted the call and held the phone to her ear. The white noise was heavy from the low quality audio on the other end. She almost couldn't discern a voice on the other end, until…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Veronica?" No…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Veronica's throat abruptly closed up as she tried to choke out a response, "Lance..?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Rachel sat up abruptly. Veronica switched the call to speaker mode as Rachel crossed the room and crawled onto Veronica’s bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Veronica! Oh my god it's really you! Listen, I don't have a lot of time to talk. I just- I miss you so much. I miss everybody and I really wish I could see you-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance," Rachel interrupted, "Where are you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you safe?" Veronica blurted, both girls now crowded around the phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Rachel, you're there too?" They heard Lance start to sniffle between his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where are you," Veronica stressed. "We can get you out, you just need to tell us where you are."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No!" Lance blurted, "No no, it's okay. You don't need to do that. I just...I just want to talk to you guys…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance, we've been trying to find you for months. We need you to come home." Veronica frowned as she stared down at the phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Gosh...how long has it even been?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's the first week of December. You've been missing for almost four months…" Rachel explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The line was silent for a moment, "Tell you what. You guys are all gonna be together for Christmas right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah...we're trying not to think about it being the first holiday without you, why?" Veronica frowned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just leave a few extra seats at dinner, okay?" Lance hiccupped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance, what are you-?" Veronica was cut off by a soft beeping tone, indicating the call had abruptly ended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Veronica? Rachel??” Lance’s voice cracked as he stared down at the phone, a small light on it blinking red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge frowned, “It takes a lot of work to charge it. I could probably do it again before I leave but that’s as much of a charge as I can get it to hold right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sighed and wiped his eyes, “No, it’s okay… Thank you, Pidge. You never had to do this for me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just happened to have it lying around. I really like working with human technology. But...you’re welcome.” Pidge smiled up at him and Lance managed to return it despite his tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looked up from Shiro as Lance returned to the bedroom, almost immediately getting up when he noticed the tears trailing down Lance’s cheeks. “Lance, what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sniffled and rubbed at his eyes, “I-I’m fine Keith...really… Actually, I feel better than I have in a long time.” Keith cupped Lance’s cheeks, searching his eyes for a hint that he was lying. Lance smiled softly at him, moving to bump his forehead against Keith’s. “Don’t worry, these are good tears…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith sighed and leaned into him, “If you say so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, I could still use someone to hold me for a while…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-” Keith blushed and stuttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance laughed sweetly and threw his arms around Keith’s shoulders. “Come on, we got a while until dinner…” He led Keith back to Shiro’s bed, eagerly pulling him down to the mattress. Keith stared down at Lance as he hovered above his smiling face. “What?” Lance asked, a blush starting to creep onto his cheeks. Keith only smiled back at him before he leaned down to place a kiss on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he pulled back, Lance suddenly reached up and grabbed the collar of his shirt. “Oh no, you’re not running away again.” Lance pushed Keith over and tackled him to the bed, laughing as he pinned him down and kissed him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith flushed but smiled as he pulled Lance closer. “I won’t, not this time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance tucked himself up in Keith’s arms, throwing his legs over his hip and tugging the blankets over them both. “Keep an eye on Shiro for me..? I need a nap after all that…” Keith nodded and nuzzled into his hair, keeping his arms wound tight around him. Before he even knew it, he’d fallen asleep to the sound of their soft breathing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sighed as he opened his eyes. He was awake, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was awake but his body refused to move at all. He only moved his head when he felt something touch his hand. Keith met his eyes with a calm smile, gently squeezing his fingers as he kept Lance curled up against his chest with his other arm. Shiro just had to stare for a minute to process it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey…” Keith murmured, voice quiet and rough. “About time you woke up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled at him and turned his hand to hold Keith’s, “That assumes I’m not just dreaming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You better not be. We were worried about you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro chuckled and slowly moved to sit up, wincing as he twisted he moved his sore and unused limbs. Keith let Lance go and leaned over him to keep Shiro from falling over, “Easy…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m alright Keith, just...woozy…” Shiro held his head, unable to keep it up all the way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he stared down at his sheets, Keith poked his wrist into view. “Need a little help..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re sure? You didn’t come out of that unscathed either…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been three days, Shiro. It’s all scarred over now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro couldn’t help but frown, “I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t give you anymore scars like that… I’m so sorry, Keith. I was supposed to protect-!” Shiro froze as Keith held a finger to his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“None of us got out unscathed, I couldn’t keep you out of harm’s way either. But we did all make it out alive. That’s what matters.” Keith smiled softly and held out his arm again, “So go ahead. I promise I’m fine.” Shiro sighed and gave him a brief kiss on the cheek before he took Keith’s wrist in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His drink was brief but it gave him warmth all through his body. He felt more lively in a matter of moments. “Thank you, Keith. That was just what I needed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, I- mh?” Keith glanced down as he felt shifting beneath him, smiling as he saw Lance beginning to stir. “Hey there, sleepyhead…” Keith smiled and brushed Lance’s bangs out of his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmgh...hey…” Lance whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay there, darling?” Shiro asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh...yeah ‘m fine Shiro. Just tiiiii- wait. Shiro!!” Lance beamed and flung himself into Shiro’s chest. Shiro wheezed but hugged him back regardless. “I’m so glad you’re okay… I know Kuro didn’t want us to worry so he didn’t tell us, but we knew it was a little touch and go for a minute there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro sighed and pet his hair, “Well, I’m okay now… What time is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dinner should almost be done by now, by the looks of it.” Keith commented as he squinted to read the bedside clock. “If you can walk, we can take you down to eat with everybody else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled and shifted to get up from the bed. “That would be perfect. Help me down the stairs, loves?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith flushed completely red as his mouth went dry, “I-I...uh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You see what I’ve had to deal with while you were gone??” Lance whined. Shiro chuckled as both of them moved to his side to help him up. He was still shaky but he managed to stay on feet as they left the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyma sat down at the dining table, watching as one of the other pets awkwardly shuffled her chair away from the table; still tense as the underlings scampered around with plates and trays of food. “It’s strange to be sitting at a table again, isn’t it…” she commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kinda...I almost don’t remember how.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re all in much better shape now that you’ve taken a few days to rest. So I figured we could get some use out of the dining room together.” Kuro grinned at them as he set out the plates. “Plus, we do need to decide what to do with you all…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That we do,” Shiro agreed as he stepped into the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kashi! You’re awake!” Kuro beamed and ran up to hug him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for taking care of me while I was out, brother. Oh, the dining room looks great. It’s so nice to use it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been taking care of everyone while you were recovering,” Krolia explained. “Some were worse off than others but everyone’s gotten bandages, antibiotics, and plenty of food.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, the food is forthcoming,” Hunk chuckled as he brought in the remaining dishes on a small cart. “Sit down you guys, we can finally all eat together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Keith smirked as he moved to the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith,” Krolia called him over, waving him to the seat beside her. Keith smiled warmly and slipped in between her and James.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this everyone?” Shiro smiled at the group as he sat down at the head of the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Matt, Pidge, Allura, and her pets already left for home, unfortunately. But this is everyone else,” Kuro explained as he sat beside Lance on Shiro’s other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro kept himself standing at the head of the table to address them all, “Thank you all for being so patient while I recovered. As I understand it, you were all stolen from other vampires. So here’s what I have in mind. I want to give you all the choice of where you can go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room quickly filled with confused chatter. “You’d really let us go </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” James questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me a place and I’m sure I can take the time to send you there. You’re also perfectly free to stay here if you don’t have any better options. I just don’t want to let you run off on your own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Lance blurted as he threw his hand up in the air. “Shiro! I have the best idea of how to do this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolo groaned as he shuffled downstairs, tired of the ceaseless knocking on his storefront door. “Ugh, can you not read or something? I don’t open until-!” Rolo’s complaint caught in his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Rolo…” Nyma smiled, trying her hardest to look cool and casual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way...Nyma?? You’re really back!” Rolo yanked her into a hug, ruffling her hair affectionately. “Shiro, you’re a goddamn miracle worker… I can’t believe you found her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled warmly, “Sorry to wake you so early Rolo but I had a feeling this would be important enough to get you up,” Shiro gave him a cheeky smirk, Keith and Lance smiling at his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not that I don’t appreciate it, but why are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> here so early?” Rolo asked. “It’s not even sunset yet, man. Jeez…” Rolo rubbed his eyes and stepped inside to shield himself from the afternoon sun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We actually have a very big trip ahead of us. Need to get an early start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, if there’s anything you need to get before you leave, it’s on the house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro hummed, taking a quick glance around the shop. “Actually, there is one thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro glanced up as Shiro returned from the, currently desolate, marketplace. He was propped up against his own carriage as the pets inside chattered away. “Well, that takes care of Nyma,” Shiro commented. “Now we just have the rest to deal with…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro nodded and unfurled his map to look it over again. “It’s a shame we can’t spend the road trip together but traveling the whole country would just take so long. I do want to get all these guys home and still make it back to Curtis for the holidays after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled and nodded, “Well, we won’t be entirely separated. Here, I got you something.” Shiro held out a box to his brother, a bright smile on his face. Kuro raised an eyebrow and popped the box open to examine the contents. “I know you didn’t take one with you because you just wanted to disappear back then. I hope you’ll use it now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuro gasped softly as he gingerly picked up the small communication orb out of the box. “Oh Kashi, you didn’t have to-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. Keep in touch okay? And maybe let me meet this Curtis guy you seem so fond of.” Shiro gave Kuro a sly smirk as he sputtered and failed to respond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith chuckled at the exchange before briefly running up to Kuro’s carriage. “Mom!” he smiled as Krolia poked her head out of the carriage window. “I guess this is goodbye for now, huh...” he frowned softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes...I wanted to see you more but Lance lives on the opposite end of the country to me. Besides, I think it would be good for you two to meet his family.” Krolia smiled and tilted Keith’s chin back up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll come back to visit, right?” Keith asked hopefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Any chance I can get, I’ll make time to see you. Maybe I’ll…” Krolia coughed fakely. “Take some bounties for Shirogane.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you do, let me know ahead of time. I can make you some tea before you 'kill me',” Shiro laughed and gave her a wink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith laughed as well and pushed up on his toes to reach Krolia and hugged her through the window. Krolia squeezed him back and sighed, “Good luck out there. We’ll catch up soon…” Keith smiled warmly before reluctantly letting her go before jogging back up to Shiro’s carriage as Lance hauled himself back into it. Shiro gave a final goodbye to Kuro as well and stepped back into the carriage as he shut the door and sent it rolling down the road. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James yawned as he stared out the window. It was down to him, Keith, Lance, and Shiro in the carriage over the course of nearly two days of travelling. He was the last one on the list, he was...almost home. The feeling of sleep started fading away as he bounced his leg nervously. After two years he was actually going home; he was seeing his family. Even as all that rushed in his mind, something still managed to pass by the window and make his heart stop completely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop the carriage,” he suddenly blurted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked up at him, surprised the quiet and well-mannered boy had suddenly given him such a frantic order. “What is it?” he asked, setting his hand on the carriage wall to slow it down as it drifted over to the curb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can let me out right here. I know where I am.” James looked up at him confidently before it briefly faltered. “Uh, please…” he added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled fondly and opened the door, “Be careful out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye James, good luck…” Lance called from his seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith nodded in agreement. “See you around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James took a deep breath before finally stepping out, “Okay…” Despite the cold air, the boys couldn’t help but peer out the door of the carriage to watch James run down the sidewalk. “Ryan!!” James called to the man walking down the street, sprinting despite his unused and wobbly legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kinkade stopped in his tracks when he heard someone call his name. He almost wanted to convince himself he imagined it and keep walking before James skidded past him on the sidewalk, stopping the man in his tracks and blocking his path.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ryan, it's me. It's James, don't you remember??" Ryan Kinkade had been known to be a quiet man of few words, but the lack of response was starting to make James nervous. Before he could say anything else, James felt his feet come off the ground as Kinkade effortlessly hoisted him up into his arms, squeezing tight as he buried his face in his shoulder. James felt his eyes watering and clung to his back, "I missed you so much...I'm sorry I was gone for so long…" James said between heaves and hiccups.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aww…" Shiro cooed softly as he watched them hug, talk, and cry together. He pulled his head back in after a moment, along with Lance and Keith, and shut the door. "Well...that just leaves you, Lance. And we're not far either." Shiro said as he glanced over the map.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well come on! I don't wanna keep them waiting." Lance grinned eagerly as the carriage started to move again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance, you're absolutely sure you want us to come with you, right?" Keith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course I'm sure! You guys actually want to meet my family, right..?" Lance's eager shifting in his seat slowed down as he gave them both a worried look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I do…" Shiro started, "But, don't you think these might concern them a bit..?" Shiro pulled his lip up and showed his long fangs. "I don't want to disrupt your family if they disapprove of us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro's right, this whole thing is really weird. Great for us, I mean, but...you think they'll understand?" Keith asked as he wrung his hands nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Guys, relax, my family letting me date a vampire and boy so emo he might as well be a vampire-” Keith gave him a look, “- is my problem to handle," Lance explained, squeezing both of their hands reassuringly. "Besides, how could they not adore you! You two are perfect…" Lance couldn't help but smirk as the two of them blushed and stumbled for responses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Shiro could really collect himself, they were already rolling up on Lance's home. The driveway was stuffed full with cars, forcing them to park on the curb. Shiro was the last one out of the carriage, currently cloaked to look like any generic SUV. Lance was eagerly yanking Keith towards the porch, rambling off little childhood facts and pointing things out among the surrounding houses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shiro! Hurry up!" Lance whined, reluctantly letting go of Keith to walk back and grab Shiro's arm. "You can do this. My family isn't a bunch of vampire hunters like Keith's. They'll like you, I promise." Lance insisted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro knew he couldn't really promise that but it helped to hear nonetheless. "Alright, I'm coming…" Shiro let Lance cling to his arm as they caught up with Keith on the porch. Lance reached out and rang the bell, bouncing on his toes as he waited for someone to reluctantly part from the get together to see who it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, um, actually. I think I left something in the carriage. I'll just-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh no you don't, Shiro!" Keith latched onto Shiro's other arm to weigh him down, laughing as Shiro tried to stammer out excuses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lance…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group went silent as the door opened. Lance let go of Shiro, the only thought in his mind was not to cry as he met his older sister face to face. His eyes were betraying him anyways. “H-hey...sis…” Lance sniffled and wiped at his eyes as Veronica yanked him into a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance! Oh my god, I can’t believe it’s really you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rachel skidded into the entryway, nearly falling as she bunched up the rug against the wall. “Lance?! Guys it’s Lance!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro smiled as Lance was dragged inside by his siblings, more of his family quickly swarming him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where have you been?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We missed you so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never leave again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith awkwardly knocked on the doorframe while Lance’s family was fussing over him, “Uh...hi,” he waved awkwardly to Lance’s family when they looked to him and Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance chuckled and finally managed to wipe his eyes dry. “Come on, you two. We have a lot to explain…” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And here's your belated Christmas gift! The whole rest of the story all finished up for you! I'm happy you all supported this work for so long. It's all your kind comments that let me finish it in the first place. Thank you all and I hope you had a great holiday season.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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